Given the band's first two hard-hitting albums, not to mention the members' previous tenure in the seminal post-hardcore outfit At the Drive-In, Sparta's heavy indie-rock pedigree was pretty firmly established by the time THREES was released in 2006. It's a bit surprising, then, that the album flirts with mainstream rock, offering up tunes that brim with powerful, anthemic choruses and the passionate grandeur of acts like U2. But Sparta never sound forced or out of their element. On the contrary, THREES weighs tight musical muscle with melody and accessibility, building on the band's post-hardcore past while moving confidently towards a crossover future.