Metal darlings The Sword released their third studio album, Warp Riders, on Monday and the Austin, TX quartet do not disappoint. If you’re not familiar with The Sword, they are often described as a doom metal or stoner metal band with a sound that is a mix of Black Sabbath, Metallica, Judas Priest, and Iron Maiden with a little bit of Led Zeppelin thrown in for good measure. It’s a cocktail I’d drink any day, preferably all day. Though Warp Riders tones down the doom and grinding elements from The Sword’s previous offerings Gods of the Earth and Age of Winter, the new focus on a hard rock sound manages to widen their appeal without estranging old fans. It’s a win-win for everyone.
Warp Riders is the first Sword album not produced by front man and guitarist John Cronise. The band brought in Matt Bayles to produce the album, known for his work with Mastodon and Minus the Bear, and he has done an excellent job. Warp Riders is also the band’s first concept album. I had difficulty following the story, written by Cronise, on my first few listens, but here is what I gleaned from the “Lore” section of The Sword’s website:
Warp Riders tells the tale of Ereth, an archer banished from his tribe on the planet Acheron. A hardscrabble planet that has undergone a tidal lock, which has caused one side to be scorched by three suns, and the other enshrouded in perpetual darkness, it is the background for a tale of strife and fantasy, the battle between pure good and pure evil.
If that’s not metal, then I don’t know what is. (Apparently a tidal lock is when a planet stops spinning on its axis.)
The music is up for the task of providing a soundtrack for the epic tale, beginning with an atmospheric and foreboding intro on “Acheron/Unearthing the Orb” before fading into the blistering heavy riffs characteristic of The Sword that we all know and love. The guitar work is excellent throughout the album, though fans of The Sword will notice the band opted for a cleaner guitar sound, less low-end, and a much more rock and roll tone. Guitar drives the compositions, switching seamlessly from one groove to the next, and the solos are perfect, wailing and shredding as you’d expect. Though The Sword have always been known as a guitar driven band, the drumming is top notch, with drummer Trivett Wingo (love the name) delivering impressive cymbal work, gallop beats, and even a little cow bell with unerring precision. Cronise is also at the top of his game, singing about Ereth’s adventures with his signature cry, something of a mix between Ozzy and, in my opinion, Scott Weiland.
The most old-school Sword song is “The Chronomancer II: Nemesis,” which features signature Sword grinding. Most of the songs run around four minutes, with a few in the six to seven range, and there are three instrumentals, none of which will not bore you. Overall, a great new album.
Be on the lookout for three music videos that are planned for the new album. If you want to see them live, The Sword are touring almost non-stop until February 2011. They begin a tour of Japan, Australia, and New Zealand in support of Metallica in September then they embark on their own headlining tour in the US. For you New Yorkers, they play Webster Hall on October 16.