Concert Review: The Sword
Previewing the show in a single sentence, my friend told me, “These guys are masters of the One.”
Indeed they are. The Sword – purveyors of a polished version of doom-stoner-epic metal – have their own trademark sound, and it centers around hitting the beat – and hard – on the one. These guys can play whiplash-fast metal, sludgy stoner metal, and everything in between. And they apply their style to epic sci-fi fantasy lyrical matter, which ups the interest ante considerably.
The Sword played Asheville NC last week, and I went to check them out. I had spent some time with their latest, Warp Riders, part of an ongoing metal saga from the band. And I dug the album. Though it’s harder and more metallic that is my general preference, the songs are sturdy, well-written and flawlessly executed. And The Sword are nowhere as pretentious as, say, Coheed and Cambria.
Resplendent in 70s-concert-tour styled Rush baseball jerseys, onstage The Sword looked more like a grunge or garage band. But the navigated the hairpin turns and stop-start rhythms of material form Warp Riders and earlier efforts. Far from being dour deliverers of the metal gospel, the band interacted with the crowd. Having replaced the abruptly-departing drummer Trivett Wingo mere weeks before the date, the band seems to have assimilated new drummer Kevin Fender into the lineup; he plays like he’s been with The Sword forever.
Said crowd was more diverse than I might have expected. Not all t-shirts were back, and there were actually women in attendance. Fist-pumping did occur, but the show was largely free of metal clichés.
The two opening acts were well-chosen. Karma to Burn – notably featuring Daniel Davies, son of one Raymond Douglas Davies and Chrissie Hynde – put on a stellar show. Though the band is technically from West Virginia (of all places), there’s little hint of Appalachia in their stoner-metal sound. And first-up act Mount Carmel were ace as well, showing lots of promise within the confines of their bluesy stoner-rock format.
About the Author
Bill Kopp
With a background in marketing and advertising, Bill Kopp got his professional start writing for Trouser Press. After a stint as Editor-in-chief for a national music magazine, Bill launched Musoscribe in 2009, and has published new content every business day since then (and every single day since 2018). The 4000-plus interviews, essays, and reviews on Musoscribe reflect Bill's keen interest in American musical forms, most notably rock, jazz, and soul. His work features a special emphasis on reissues and vinyl. Bill's work also appears in many other outlets both online and in print. He regularly hosts lecture/discussions on artists and albums of historical importance (including monthly events Music to Your Ears and Music Movie Mondays), and is a frequent guest on music-focused radio programs and podcasts. In Spring 2023 he is co-teaching a history of Rock 'n' Roll at UNC Asheville's College for Seniors. He also researches and authors liner notes for album reissues -- more than 30 to date -- and co-produced a reissue of jazz legend Julian "Cannonball" Adderley's final album. His first book, Reinventing Pink Floyd: From Syd Barrett to The Dark Side of the Moon was published by Rowman & Littlefield in 2018, and in paperback in 2019. His second book, Disturbing the Peace: 415 Records and the Rise of New Wave, was published in 2021 by HoZac Books. His third book, What's the Big Idea: 40 Great Concept Albums will be published in 2024. Read even more about him here.