Austere [EP]

Sparta | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (March 26, 2002)
• Original Release Date: 2002
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: EP
• Label: Dreamworks
• ASIN: B000063BRN
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #116,020 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Mye

2. Cataract

3. Vacant Skies

4. Echodyne Harmonic (de-mix)

Editorial Reviews

SPARTA Austere (2002 US 4-track CD single featuring former members of At The Drive In made in the bands native El Paso Texas with its distinctive sound clearly influenced by ATDIs former musical efforts features the tracks Mye Cataract Vacant Skies and Echodyne Harmonic de-mix picture sleeve with deletion drill hole through the jewel case)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars good but not great... yet, August 10, 2002

By 

Umpeik (Philadelphia PA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Austere (Audio CD)

While Mars Volta went on to experiment in a different kind of rock sound, Sparta sticks with the sound that At the drive-in had nurtured for 6 or so years before they went different ways. Austere sounds like a mix of Relationship of Command and In/Casino/out, with a lot of tweaking on the Pro Tools, giving the EP somewhat of a techno feel that was very foreign to any of the ATDI album. This release did not quite live up to the standards that the 3 members in Sparta had set before with ATDI, the songwriting was shaky and erratic, but it was still good anyways.

I keep comparing them to ATDI and Mars Volta which is unfortunate because Sparta still seems like they are experimenting with their sound and haven't quite finished messing around. But this is not a bad thing, as this was only an EP and only their first release as Sparta. I look forward to their Full Length release in late summer of this year.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars GREAT NEW SOUND!, July 29, 2002

By 

dan the man (San Antonio, Tx. USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Austere (Audio CD)

Wow this is an intersting new sound that Sparta has. I read they are the 3 remaining members of At the drive-in. I didn't really care for that band, but what Sparta has put out is a great new sound. If I had to compare it to something I have heard before, I would have to say it sounds like a cross between A perfrct cirlce, and The Cure. This is how interesting of a sound that Sparta has developed. I would recomend this record only to people with an alternativly open mind. If you are into more of the straight forward rock sound of todays modern music or numetal as it is called, you may not like Sparta. I myself am open to any type of weird rock music, as long as it has some substance and uniformity to it. Sparta definitly has this sort of Quality to their material. I first heard "Mye"-track 1, and was sold. I then had the pleasure of hearing "Cataract", which was followed with "Vacant Skies", this is where you can hear The Cure the most, and musically is A Perfect Circle. Sparta is an original sound all it's own really, and a very original sound at that... Just wish it was a full-length disk, and not just an E.P...

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Sparta Pumped Out a Really Good First EP, June 26, 2002

By 

"sporke" (South Pasadena, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Austere (Audio CD)

Austere is terrific; energetic, melodic, and honest. It's really straightforward and well put together, and the musicianship shows just like it did in ATDI ... these guys can play and write with the best of them. Jim Ward on vocals is nice too, he keeps a few ATDI-isms as far as singing style but also works with other styles too. Drum work is great as always, and the guitars are terrific. The full-length should be great ...