Austin-based quartet, The Sword plays derivative heavy metal reminiscent of Black Sabbath, full of witches-at-black-masses lyricism. Gods of the Earth employs vaguely blues-influenced rhythms and dense heavy metal chords intent on creating a vibe rather than showcase technical prowess. The album begins and ends in cinematic fashion. Fat, close-up acoustic guitars start the album opener “The Sundering.” Gods then rises to a plateau of groove-oriented metal completely devoid of irony or pretense. This is galloping-horse music. The Sword falls somewhere between early Metallica, a heavy dose of Swedish acts, and the omnipresent Sabbath. For all the band members’ blonde hair and Norse mysticism however, this is a thoroughly American act. Cookie Monster vocals are nonexistent; the long instrumental interludes are inventive without sounding scientific. Album highlight “To Take the Black” is testimony to this. Lacking in both double-bass drum eruptions and virtuoso guitar solos, Singer J.D. Cronise and his bandmates set the bar high; if metal-heads want catharsis through noodling, they won’t find it here. That song, not to mention Gods of the Earth overall, displays that most rare of qualities among metal groups: restraint.
– M.S.
The Sword: www.swordofdoom.com
Kemado: www.kemado.com