Review Summary: Sparta finally step out from under ATDI's shadow - a move which creates an album of quite astounding quality.
Sparta's debut album, 'Wiretap Scars', although a fine piece of work in its own right, was dogged by the shadow of the band that spawned it, At The Drive-In. The music was soaked with its influence, with dense, cryptic lyrics, bursts of crushing guitar, and vicious yells. The main progression was that melody now had higher place in the music.
With 'Porcelain', Sparta have shaken off their ATDI shackles, and found a groove which is finally their own. A good move, to say the least...
Things are kicked off in excellent fashion with 'Guns Of Memorial Park', with grating noises giving way to a plucked guitar and buzzing synths, before Tony Hajjar's drums kick in with a powerful thump, and the whole band launch into a powerful, emotional piece of clever post-hardcore music. Jim Ward's lyrics have evolved; although they are still verbal Rorschach blots, they could mean anything to anyone, which makes them seem much more personal and open. The chorus soars, with Ward wailing 'All these, all my memories, don't let me forget these secret walkways' over walls of biting guitar. What a way to start an album.
The frenetic pace is not lowered with the crunching follower 'Hiss The Villain'. Sparta let loose, with fast-paced, growling guitar, sporadic, thunderous drums, and a pounding bassline, with Ward's yowls skittering over the top, fitting perfectly with the volcanic rush beneath it. The outro is breath-taking - a huge roar from Ward leads to a squalling guitar run, and when the song finally reaches its end, violins are holding one piercing note that will set your heart racing.
'While Oceana Sleeps' is, quite simply, one of the best songs I have ever heard. Soft, choppy effects and a melodious verse lead into a massive, pounding chorus which is one of the whole album's highlights - Ward's cries of 'You can't hear the sound / When walls break down / You wasted my days / I built it on shaky ground' somehow just WORK. Make no mistake, this is true, heart-on-sleeve music. A brilliant track.
'La Cerca' tugs at the heart-strings with its tales of alienation and surging guitars - lines like 'Let's crash these gates/ And join this party / I want to be welcomed, not just tolerated' attest to this. It rocks but with enough tact to make the harder sections even more intense.
'Breaking The Broken' is Sparta's accessible attempt at a love song, but it does not suffer for it. The song is a genuinely heartfelt piece of music, with Ward's plaintive delivery and the softer-than-normal guitars only adding to its rough emotion and power.
'Lines In Sand' slows the pounding speed for a while, and every one of its six minutes is beautiful. Gentle washes of guitar, slow drums, a warm bassline and soft vocals in the verse make the chorus hit hard. Although the pace is not upped, the guitars explode in fractured, jagged bursts, with Ward showing his fine vocal talents. Superb.
'End Moraine' is one of the main reasons that this album is essential. A busy, splintering guitar line roars with fantastic deftness and flow, and Hajjar's drums are relentless, battering forces of nature which will leave you lost for words. Once again, Ward's vocals are excellent - he howls about historical revisionism, and when he says 'I want to level this place [...] And everyone in it can go', he sounds like he means it. If you wan to show someone how truly brilliant Sparta are, play them this song.
'Death In The Family' has a hard act to follow, but is another great song. It is more upbeat than the majority of the tracks on 'Porcelain', and bounces along with a strong rhythm and catchy melodies. Another good track.
'Death In The Family' segues beautifully into 'Syncope', a gentle, poignant instrumental, which is essentially a single guitar playing a solo over a soft synth backing. It's a chance to get your breath back, but is by no means filler - you'll probably find yourself listening to it on its own.
'Tensioning' is akin to 'Lines In Sand' in that it slows the pace and is brilliant for it. A sparse, affecting guitar line leads the way for one of the most touching songs on the album. The chorus's vocal line (And it ends / From a scream to a whisper / Can you free me from this world and help me forget?) is as heart-wrenching as it is driving. A real standout.
'Travel By Bloodline' is the only song on the album which I couldn't love as much as the others. For some reason, it just doesn't work as well as the rest of the album - the chorus seems completely out of place when compared to the galloping rhythm of the verse that precedes it. It's not a bad song by any stretch of the imagination - it's just surrounded by songs that are shatteringly brilliant, and pales in comparison.
'P.O.M.E' is less of a track and more of a chance for Tony Hajjar to show off his drumming prowess. Although you'll smile when you listen to it due to its unique novelty, it's not one you'll find yourself repeating.
'From Now To Never' is a sprawling epic which encapsulates each bit of 'Porcelain' in one shot. It starts off as a crunching uptempo rocker, which is astounding, before leading into a dreamy, sparkling piece of music that ebbs and flows, with a sensual french voice reading over the top of it for some parts. Undeniably awesome.
'Splinters' is another pounding rocker in Sparta's indomitable style - busy, thunderous, fresh, it's everything that you would expect from a band that is as musically adventurous and talented as Sparta.
'Farewell Ruins', a UK bonus track, ties up the album handsomely, with its rolling pace, fine instrumentation and explosive chorus.
This album is the reason why I sometimes do not regret ATDI's split. It is emotional, poundingly heavy, musically faultless, utterly breath-robbing, and finally, it is Sparta unadorned. An album which deserves a place in any collection, and in the hearts of millions.
