Geffen Records
2004
Porcelain
About This Album
And upon the Great Schism, they were polarized. As Sparta moved determinedly toward marketability, their brothers in the Mars Volta moved decidedly away from it. Not surprising, given the motives that exploded the Drive-In. But as Wiretap Scars proved, Sparta's discovery of a viable alt.metal niche didn't cost them their caustic intellectualism. Quite the opposite -- it focused the flame. In turn, Porcelain shatters the notion that musical thoughtfulness needs to include weeping and flügelhorns, or for that matter jarring time shifts and whispers to a scream. These elements appear in their own way throughout -- Jim Ward, Tony Hajjar, Paul Hinojos, and Matt Miller make some momentous noise, and Ward's odd timbre bleeds sincerity. But -- amazingly, 'cause they're on Geffen -- their fibrous grooves, dense watercolors, and peels of shattering guitar arrive unencumbered by label-side meddling, or even the unspoken demands of a cliquey music-fan nation. Porcelain is pure consciousness raising, at once its own powerful statement and a directive straight from the Sparta brain trust to seek out Quicksand and Shudder to Think, to find the soul of Braid, and not just nod heads to its followers.
Track List (try tracks 5,7 and 13)

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