Yeah, i actually liked the Sparta stuff a lot as well. Part of the reason ATDI split in the first place was because they wanted to go in different directions, and that absolutely shows with the two resulting bands. The more emo soft style of Sparta against the more experimental mish mash of The Mars Volta. I like them both... very talented groups. Sparta isn't anywhere near as good live however... i mean energy wise. Musically, great, but they definitely aren't ATDI on stage... but then again, most of the insanity that ATDI presented on stage was all Cedrick and Omar anyway. Some of the best live shows i've ever seen.