Austere
WhenAt the Drive-Incalled it quits just before becoming massive, it seemed like they had blown a one-shot opportunity. Not so. While vocalist Cedric Bixler and guitarist Omar Rodriguez went off and formed the self-consciously weirdMars Volta, the Afro-free faction of ATDI--guitarist Jim Ward, bassist Paul Hinojos, and drummer Tony Hajjar--handily carried on under the new guise of Sparta. This quick-to-the-point EP, produced by Jerry Finn (Green Day, Blink 182), features the familiar sound of clipped rhythms, oblique vocals, and fuzzed-out guitars, but it also sounds insidiously fresh. Tracks like "Mye" and "Vacant Skies" update ATDI's taut fury with a most agreeable luster, while the pure force of the music remains respectfully undiminished.--Aidin Vaziri