Review: The Sword - Apocryphon

New review of The Sword - Apocryphon is up here: http://themetalblogofmetal.blogspot.com/2012/10/melt-down-your-ploughshares.html

Basically, it's a continuation of Warp Riders minus most of the thrashier elements. It's quite hooky. Also, their cover of ZZ Top's Cheap Sunglasses is quite good. Thanks for reading!

Do they vary up their rhythmic approach any on this album? I listened to the first two singles and I'm starting to get worried that they are approaching one-trick-pony territory.

I read the review, I don't think they've been "doom" since the debut album and really there are only a few hints of it on that record.

I actually like Warp Riders the best out of their first 3 records and dig all the songs.

S.D. wrote:

Do they vary up their rhythmic approach any on this album? I listened to the first two singles and I'm starting to get worried that they are approaching one-trick-pony territory.

I read the review, I don't think they've been "doom" since the debut album and really there are only a few hints of it on that record.

I actually like Warp Riders the best out of their first 3 records and dig all the songs.

Most of the songs on the album are mid-tempo. I was expecting them to really change up their sound on this album based on interviews, but they really didn't. The quality is very high though, and I like all the tracks. The two singles you have heard are very representative of the sound on the album.

I really liked the direction they took on Warp Riders myself, but there was a song or two that didn't click with me. I felt the quality on Warp Riders was pretty high though - I should probably re-word that part of my review because it makes it sound like I didn't like Warp Riders.

Nice review!!! I always did think that the Lp format was perfect for the attention span for listening to music. I mean, who wants to spend three hours to listen to a double cd concept album?

Listening to the album on Spotify right now.

The track "The Hidden Masters" is probably the most Sabbath-sounding they've done, awesome song!

This is a new album? I've been curious about these guys since I saw the tail end of their set (one song) when they opened for Metallica a couple of years ago, I just never got around to checkin' any of their stuff out.

Fat Freddy wrote:

This is a new album? I've been curious about these guys since I saw the tail end of their set (one song) when they opened for Metallica a couple of years ago, I just never got around to checkin' any of their stuff out.

Yes, it was released today. Best Buy has it on sale, $7.99 for the standard edition, $9.99 for the digi-pak with bonus tracks.

I'm digging it.

S.D. wrote:

Fat Freddy wrote:

This is a new album? I've been curious about these guys since I saw the tail end of their set (one song) when they opened for Metallica a couple of years ago, I just never got around to checkin' any of their stuff out.

Yes, it was released today. Best Buy has it on sale, $7.99 for the standard edition, $9.99 for the digi-pak with bonus tracks.

I'm digging it.

Neat-O. Maybe I can finally get in on the ground floor with this new one, rather than two or three years after everyone else has heard it, like usual for me.

Glad you like it SD. I am really enjoying it.

Witchfinder wrote:

Glad you like it SD. I am really enjoying it.

I do think there's more variety on here than I anticipated, especially in the center of the album. That cycle of tracks starting with The Hidden Masters, Dying Earth, Execrator, Seven Sisters shows off some grooves they haven't quite explored yet, that's really what I was looking for.

Very solid album on the first spin.

I'd recommend everyone get the Deluxe Edition, their cover of ZZ Top's "Cheap Sunglasses" is perfection.

Nice review!!!

Great review. I loved your little rant at the end. Well said. These guys haven't disappointed me yet, and I think they just get better with each release. I'm loving this new one.

Great review, hilarious mini-rant as well! Have yet to get this -the preorder postage was sizeable to Australia, so will look for the special edition online elsewhere.

[quote="Fat Freddy"]

S.D. wrote:

Neat-O. Maybe I can finally get in on the ground floor with this new one, rather than two or three years after everyone else has heard it, like usual for me.

I know the feeling!!


I really dug their last album and this sounds promising as well....

Witchfinder wrote:

S.D. wrote:

Do they vary up their rhythmic approach any on this album? I listened to the first two singles and I'm starting to get worried that they are approaching one-trick-pony territory.

I read the review, I don't think they've been "doom" since the debut album and really there are only a few hints of it on that record.

I actually like Warp Riders the best out of their first 3 records and dig all the songs.

Most of the songs on the album are mid-tempo. I was expecting them to really change up their sound on this album based on interviews, but they really didn't. The quality is very high though, and I like all the tracks. The two singles you have heard are very representative of the sound on the album.

I really liked the direction they took on Warp Riders myself, but there was a song or two that didn't click with me. I felt the quality on Warp Riders was pretty high though - I should probably re-word that part of my review because it makes it sound like I didn't like Warp Riders.

I re-listened to Warp Riders and I remembered which track didn't gel with me and that's The Chronomancer II: Nemesis. I think that song is a dud, but other than that one song Warp Riders is superb.

I liked their first 2 album right from the get-go. When I heard Warp Riders, I was blown away upon the very first listen. They had stepped it up big time on that one and it got better with every spin.

Not so much with Apocryphon. I'm not hearing any hooks on this new album at all. The songs just blend together in one long tune.

I hope that with repeated listens and seeing them live will change my opinion of the record. But for now, I'm disappointed with this new one.

The middle of this album is where the meat is, it's also the section of the record where they try out some new stuff they haven't done before. The first couple songs don't do much for me, but once you get to track 3 it starts to kick in and then really shines on tracks 4-7.

I think there are plenty of hooks, maybe not "sing in the shower" type stuff, but well-written. They are going to have to loosen themselves up rhythmically at some point in the near future because they are risking hitting a dead-end when it comes to their signature groove. I think this album is walking a fine line, I find the performances energetic enough to compensate for the sameness in groove, but for the next album these guys need to consciously attempt to vary thing up a little bit in the rhythm department. Writing in something other than 4/4 time would be a good place to start.

Still, I think it's an enjoyable album and I'd probably rank it second behind Warp Riders.

I miss a good ol' instrumental on the new one too.

A co-worker and I slipped out yesterday to grab our copies and he asked me today at lunch what I thought. I said "Kinda boring" and he said "Yea, I thought so too".

It needs some variation in the tempos of the songs. I feel like it's all the same throughout.

The Hidden Masters, Dying Earth and Execrator help vary up the flow of the album enough to keep it interesting, at least those are the tracks that caught my attention the first time I heard it.

S.D. wrote:

The Hidden Masters, Dying Earth and Execrator help vary up the flow of the album enough to keep it interesting, at least those are the tracks that caught my attention the first time I heard it.

Well, they ain't working for me. I'm kinda bummed. I really wanted to like this album.

S.D. wrote:

The Hidden Masters, Dying Earth and Execrator help vary up the flow of the album enough to keep it interesting, at least those are the tracks that caught my attention the first time I heard it.

Likewise. Those three are favorites of mine so far and I am partial to Cloak of Feathers as well.

I dig all their stuff but Gods of the Earth still reigns supreme for me. Just listen to The Black River... crushing!

Saw The Sword live the other night and it was kinda dull. They sounded decent and all, but just kinda stood there. Didn't move around much or have any interaction with the crowd. They also did this thing with the whole band was being back-lit (except for the drummer), so they were in sillouette the whole show. You couldn't see their faces. Not sure if they did that on purpose, but I thought it was odd.

Eagle Claw and Gypsy Hawk were ok too, but nothing out of the ordinary.

MetalGuy71 wrote:

Saw The Sword live the other night and it was kinda dull. They sounded decent and all, but just kinda stood there. Didn't move around much or have any interaction with the crowd. They also did this thing with the whole band was being back-lit (except for the drummer), so they were in sillouette the whole show. You couldn't see their faces. Not sure if they did that on purpose, but I thought it was odd.

Eagle Claw and Gypsy Hawk were ok too, but nothing out of the ordinary.

Careful, you don't want to end up as picky as I am, it's not much fun actually.

I've seen them live a couple times and thought they put on a great show. I could care less about how much a band moves around on stage, you can nail them into position as long as they play great.

I'm thinking it's just me.

Lately, I've been pretty "meh" about stuff in general. I have been drinking more these days. Not getting drunk, mind you, just an increase of alcohol consumption on a daily basis. Maybe it's dampening my senses.