Fans of the more alternative-rock driven element of At The Drive-In always had Sparta to fall back on when the other members ventured out into the experimental rock wilderness as The Mars Volta. However, with At The Drive-In reunited (albeit minus Sparta’s Jim Ward), it’s been relatively silent from the Sparta camp for the last decade and change. Luckily, that’s all changing today with the announcement of Sparta’s new album Trust the River, which will be their first album in 14 years and the first to be released on Dine Alone Records.

In addition to announcing the new album, which will be released on April 10, 2020, the band has shared a video for the first single “Believe.” The song and the video are relatively straight-forward but with an interesting twist. “Believe” finds Ward singing in a bit more of a heartland-rock style, though with the kind of production and angular riffage you’d expect from a Sparta song.

Trust The River track list

1. Class Blue
2. Cat Scream
3. Turquoise Dream
4. Spirit Away
5. Believe
6. Graveyard Luck
7. Dead End Signs
8. Miracle
9. Empty House
10. No One Can Be Nowhere

The band’s not only announcing a new album and releasing a new song, they’ve also shared some tour dates. The band will play in California, New York City, Philadelphia and Somerville in April and May. See the dates below:

Sparta 2020 Tour Dates

04/23 – San Francisco CA – Bottom of the Hill
04/24 – Los Angeles CA – Troubadour
04/25 – San Diego CA – Soda Bar
04/29 – New York NY – Mercury Lounge
04/30 – New York NY – Mercury Lounge
05/01 – Philadelphia PA – Boot & Saddle
05/02 – Philadelphia PA – Boot & Saddle
05/03 – Somerville MA – ONCE Ballroom

Photo Credit: Marv Watson