The Sword

I'm not diggin this at all. ;(

I'm not going to make any judgements based on one song, but at least it's a step in a different direction.

Another new song streaming at Rolling Stone entitled Empty Temples.

This one has a Thin Lizzy vibe.

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/hear-the-sword-channel-thin-lizzy-zz-top-on-new-song-empty-temples-20150716

S.D. wrote:

Another new song streaming at Rolling Stone entitled Empty Temples.  

This one has a Thin Lizzy vibe.

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/hear-the-sword-channel-thin-lizzy-zz-top-on-new-song-empty-temples-20150716

Sounds good to me.

I've noticed they've gone for a more analog tube-driven overdrive guitar sound vs. the usual metal crunch on that track.

I'm really losing hope for this album.

I like it but I think they are going the way of one of my other favorite bands, Clutch. The first 3 Clutch albums are the best, the sound that made them famous. I think as they progressed as musicians the want to branch out & try something else, they will lose some fans & gain others. I am a fan boy of both bands & will buy an album of fart noises by ethier band, But I don't think they will be returning to the sound that made them famous!

The Sword have worn their influences on their sleeve since the beginning. First album was a little more stoner metal, second album was a little more NWOBHM sound, third album started bringing in more 70s influences ala Thin Lizzy, fourth album continued that...the first couple songs on this album really don't seem like that far of a stretch, the only major difference is the change to a more analog guitar sound. It seems natural enough to me, I think Warp Riders was where their own sound really gelled and they've just been building off that vibe since.

Hamer12 wrote:

I like it but I think they are going the way of one of my other favorite bands, Clutch. The first 3 Clutch albums are the best, the sound that made them famous. I think as they progressed as musicians the want to branch out & try something else, they will lose some fans & gain others. I am a fan boy of both bands & will buy an album of fart noises by ethier band, But I don't think they will be returning to the sound that made them famous!

Hmm, I wonder if I could sell you an album of fart noises.

For those concerned about the album being too long, the running time is only 51 minutes.  Almost half the songs on the album are under 3 minutes.  The first track is just a short intro as well, so it's really 14 songs.

I listened to the advance tracks again on Apple Music and it's growing on me, I look forward to hearing the whole album.

I'm diggin it. Not a lot different than where they've been musically.

For what it's worth, Blabbermouth gave a stellar review to the new album...
http://www.blabbermouth.net/cdreviews/high-country/

They mention in the same review that their last album Apocryphon was "superb", which I heartily disagree, so I'm not putting too much faith in this review. I'll wait till I hear the album before I judge.

I finally pre-ordered this album yesterday. In that last sample, they are really channeling Thin Lizzy and I dig it!

The song "Night Side" from Warp Riders was the first one where I went "yep, definitely going for a Thin Lizzy vibe here", glad to see them continuing with that influence.

S.D. wrote:

The song "Night Side" from Warp Riders was the first one where I went "yep, definitely going for a Thin Lizzy vibe here", glad to see them continuing with that influence.

I was blasting that tune in the car last night! That is one of my favorite songs from them.

Another new song Mist And Shadow streaming from High Country.  This time appropriately it's featured on High Times Magazine's website.  

http://www.hightimes.com/read/song-premiere-swords-mist-and-shadow

Really like this track, very cool vibe and the mood of the song fits the title perfectly.  

I think this album is going to be really good.

S.D. wrote:

Another new song Mist And Shadow streaming from High Country.  This time appropriately it's featured on High Times Magazine's website.  

http://www.hightimes.com/read/song-premiere-swords-mist-and-shadow

Really like this track, very cool vibe and the mood of the song fits the title perfectly.  

I think this album is going to be really good.

Nice one. I dig it.

Here's yet another song.  This time it's "The Dreamthieves:"

http://bravewords.com/news/the-sword-premier-the-dreamthieves-lyric-video

Though I listen to a ton of bands who glorify weed in their music, I find that if I focus on the lyrics I can't help but think it's extremely juvenile. It just irks me. Maybe my never having smoked weed (or done any drug outside of alcohol) means I'm not "enlightened" enough, but at a minimum I just don't get how you can write about the same damn thing over and over again, album after album. It's bizarre.

Not that The Sword have done that, of course. I'm just rambling.

Eyesore wrote:

I'm just rambling.

Are you High? Haha....... Sorry, couldn't resist

Eyesore wrote:

Though I listen to a ton of bands who glorify weed in their music, I find that if I focus on the lyrics I can't help but think it's extremely juvenile. It just irks me. Maybe my never having smoked weed (or done any drug outside of alcohol) means I'm not "enlightened" enough, but at a minimum I just don't get how you can write about the same damn thing over and over again, album after album. It's bizarre.

Not that The Sword have done that, of course. I'm just rambling.

To me, it's no worse than bands that built a career glorifying booze or chicks. And can be just as juvenile.

Rock and Metal is chock full of juvenilia, I don't see how singing about pot is any more juvenile than singing about demons, wizards, knights, dragons or various other silly shit aimed at 13 year old boys.  

Witchfinder wrote:

Here's yet another song.  This time it's "The Dreamthieves:"

http://bravewords.com/news/the-sword-premier-the-dreamthieves-lyric-video

This is the first song I'm really digging from the new album. The other ones I've heard so far sadly weren't doing much for me. This one sounds like it could have been on the soundtrack to 'Heavy Metal'.

MetalGuy71 wrote:

Witchfinder wrote:

Here's yet another song.  This time it's "The Dreamthieves:"

http://bravewords.com/news/the-sword-premier-the-dreamthieves-lyric-video

This is the first song I'm really digging from the new album. The other ones I've heard so far sadly weren't doing much for me. This one sounds like it could have been on the soundtrack to 'Heavy Metal'.

There's 15 tracks on the new album so you're bound to like a couple of them.

S.D. wrote:

Rock and Metal is chock full of juvenilia, I don't see how singing about pot is any more juvenile than singing about demons, wizards, knights, dragons or various other silly shit aimed at 13 year old boys.  

Demons, wizards, knights, and dragons seems a lot more interesting than smoking weed. Haha.