Sparta‘s classic debut LP Wiretap Scars turned 20 last year: the band have continued celebrating the anniversary on tour this year, and there’s a new vinyl reissue now, too. We have an exclusive variant, on translucent red with black and white splatter vinyl, limited to 350 copies. Grab yours HERE while they last.
In our list of the 35 Best Emo & Post-Hardcore Albums of 2002, we wrote, “After the initial 2001 breakup of At the Drive-In, Cedric Bixler-Zavala and Omar Rodríguez-López formed the more progressive rock-influenced Mars Volta, while guitarist/backing vocalist Jim Ward, drummer Tony Hajjar, and bassist Paul Hinojos stuck to a more post-hardcore vibe with Sparta, which found Jim Ward assuming lead vocal duties and Paul Hinojos moving to guitar (the lineup was rounded out by bassist Matt Miller). Sparta signed a major label deal with Dreamworks the same year they formed, and debuted in 2002 with the Austere EP before releasing their debut full-length Wiretap Scars later that year. The album fit in perfectly with the emo/post-hardcore boom that had really started to explode just as ATDI were breaking up, and the album also served as a reminder of how crucial Jim Ward’s backing vocals were to the sound of At the Drive-In. He may have been previously best known as a sideman (a role he says he’s still more comfortable with), but Sparta gave him the opportunity to bring his voice and more of his ideas to the forefront, and it resulted in great records like Wiretap Scars.”
Read our interview with Jim Ward about the album, and listen to an episode of the BV Podcast about our list of the best emo and post-hardcore albums of 2002.
Sparta have more Wiretap Scars anniversary shows coming up, and a couple of shows supporting Thursday, including one at Sayreville, NJ’s Starland Ballroom on September 30. See all dates below.
SPARTA: 2023 TOUR DATES
Sep 8 Fri Leeds, United Kingdom
Sep 9 Sat Glasgow, United Kingdom
Sep 10 Sun London, United Kingdom
Sep 12 Tue Köln, Germany
Sep 13 Wed Berlin, Germany
Sep 15 Fri Hamburg, Germany
Sep 16 Sat Bremen, Germany
Sep 17 Sun Bruxelles, Belgium
Sep 22 Fri North Myrtle Beach, SC, United States *
Sep 30 Sat Sayreville, NJ, United States *
Nov 2 Thu Toronto, ON, Canada #
Nov 3 Fri Bronson, FL, United States #
Nov 4 Sat Montreal, QC, Canada #
Nov 7 Tue Winnipeg, MB, Canada #
Nov 8 Wed Saskatoon, SK, Canada #
Nov 10 Fri Calgary, AB, Canada #
Nov 11 Sat Edmonton, AB, Canada #
Nov 13 Mon Vancouver, BC, Canada #
* supporting Thursday
# supporting Moneen
