new 'The Sword ' album

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Cheiron

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Jan 11, 2006
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A 'review' on Rhapsody music service:

This sophomore effort from the Austin-based doomsayers is a stronger, darker continuation of their fuzzed-out throwback foundation. Well versed in blazing riffage, The Sword bolster their place as purveyors of bad-ass licks, packing Gods of the Earth with infectiously brutal nod-alongs. Putting to rest the false metal debate they contract from their non-metal following, The Sword are officially planting their flag in stoner metal mecca with Sabbathian tracks like "Maiden, Mother & Crone," the High on Fire-esque "Lords" and Mastodon-like guitar god anthem "The White Sea."
- Jen Guyre


I find it amusing that false metal was thrown in there.

Listening to the album now. I'll offer some thoughts on how 'unfalse' they have become.
 
"The self-appointed guardians of the underground have gotten so good at sniffing out frauds, they can even spot a swindle where none exists. How else to explain the hate directed by scenesters at THE SWORD — why? Because they're young, or from Austin, or don't have matted beards flapping desultorily in the breeze? Fuck all that — if you put this moss-encrusted tome of mothballed Valhalla rock into your stereo and you don't exult at the righteous worship of PENTAGRAM, CIRITH UNGOL, and SABBATH oozing through every pore of these hessian bastards, then the problem is you, not THE SWORD."

haha, here we go again with the Cirith Ungol. I bet if the band has even heard of Cirith Ungol, it was after being called out as false in the first place.
 
"This one, from the shamble-thrash of song #4 (I'm not typing that fucktarded song title again) to the THIN LIZZY-in-a-cave lilt of "To Take the Black" to the "Supernaut" swing of "Maiden, Mother & Crone", just hits you in that sweet spot and never lets up. Catchy as hell, with a gloriously filthy guitar tone and those laconic double-tracked drug-rock vocals that speak of the quasi-mystical bullshit that goes so well with this kind of doom shake."

I have this strange suspicion that Keith doesn't believe much in the actual potency of this sort of music, so I don't understand the high mark.

""Gods of the Earth" is hopelessly retro and incorrigibly stuck in the past, and you wouldn't want it any other way."

I don't know, man. I don't know.
 
also, a golden reader comment. I should read Blabbermouth more often

"
if the sword was not on a major label band but on southern lord or relapse or something these self professed inquisitors of heavy metal would be salivating all over this album. news flash! not every band on a major label sucks. with a song title like fire lances of the ancient hyperzephyrians, i dare you to label the sword un-metal."
 
I didn't like the album at all. The sound quality was junk imo for one. But that's consistent with their last album. There was no energy, no hooks, nothing to make me interested. Is it false? Well, I believe so. Its not in the sound, but the intentions. But the band did nothing for me, just like the previous album. Sludge/doom etc should not bore me with uninspiredness, but instead get an emotional reaction out of me. I still don't believe that this band truly grasps or loves the music they are playing. I feel that its done satirically. The song names, the lyrics, all seems to me that they are trying too hard, or purposely just saying 'heh.. we are above this so we are going totally overboard, get our irony?'

To give them some credit, where its due, they do manage to have some interesting riffs. Sadly, I've heard them before.
 
It all boils down to whether the band is good at what it does or not. If you compare The Sword to their gazillion competitors, they are more or less also-rans, since others do way better at 70s worship.

Plus, I still can't get over their name - metal awareness should not allow them to blend British "The"-indie-lingo with the monicker of a Canadian classic metal band that released two good albums back in the day...
 
Hiiiiiiiiiiii!!! :headbang:

Now I don't care for The Sword much but it's funny that all of you probably had your opinion ready even before hearing a single note :Smug:

But since you all seem to hate Southern Lord so much, does that also include Wolves In The Throne Room? Cause I think they're great!
 
Some Bastard said:
Hiiiiiiiiiiii!!! :headbang:

Now I don't care for The Sword much but it's funny that all of you probably had your opinion ready even before hearing a single note :Smug:

But since you all seem to hate Southern Lord so much, does that also include Wolves In The Throne Room? Cause I think they're great!
Click to expand...

Grand Magus is kind of cool. But they only released an EP on Southern Lord.
 
that was a 7 inch split with the Spiritual Beggars bonustrack from the Ad Astra digipak edition. Magus' song was Twilight Train - really great and better than anything their singer did later with the Beggars themselves-
 
Helm said:
also, a golden reader comment. I should read Blabbermouth more often

"
if the sword was not on a major label band but on southern lord or relapse or something these self professed inquisitors of heavy metal would be salivating all over this album. news flash! not every band on a major label sucks. with a song title like fire lances of the ancient hyperzephyrians, i dare you to label the sword un-metal."
Click to expand...

Did that guy just get the interwebs yesterday, or something?
 
Some Bastard said:
Hiiiiiiiiiiii!!! :headbang:

Now I don't care for The Sword much but it's funny that all of you probably had your opinion ready even before hearing a single note :Smug:

But since you all seem to hate Southern Lord so much, does that also include Wolves In The Throne Room? Cause I think they're great!
Click to expand...

I don't get the appeal of this band. There's nothing in their oeuvre that wasn't done 15 years ago and with infinitely more creative passion and success by Darkthrone and Burzum, the only thing that's new is marketing strategy.
 
Talking about Wolves in the Throne Room, I take it.

And I'd have said In The Woods... and Weakling instead of Darkthrone or Burzum (which are very different entities I think) but yes, okay.
 
Satan is My Stewardess said:
I don't get the appeal of this band. There's nothing in their oeuvre that wasn't done 15 years ago and with infinitely more creative passion and success by Darkthrone and Burzum, the only thing that's new is marketing strategy.
Click to expand...
They're obviously influenced by those bands, but personally I think they're taking that old BM-sound to a new level. Not sure what marketing strategy you're referring to. I'm basing this on having seen them play live twice (because truth be told compared to their live show the record doesn't really hold up). The last time was the ROADBURN-festival in Tilburg, The Netherlands two weeks ago. After that even Enslaved (who came right after) didn't stand a chance.

O wait, they're on a label too and they even have a keyboard player. I guess they too can't be Metal then, right? :p

BTW, another great (and very Heavy Metal) band I saw on that festival were Lesbian. Anyone heard of them?
 
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