Modern doom/stoner/sludge darlings The Sword are back with their latest studio release, titled Apocryphon, which was produced by J. Robbins (Clutch, Against Me!) and set to be released by Razor & Tie. To say that this band has captured the attention of metal fans & critics alike is a pretty big understatement, and if you've enjoyed their groove laden, Black Sabbath/Clutch inspired Texas stomp in the past, then Apocryphon is sure to push all the right buttons for you.
The band (J. D. Cronise, Kyle Shutt, Bryan Richie, and Jimmy Vela) have always been able to crank out some fat, meaty, memorable riffs straight out of the Sabbath playbook, but they mix it with a Southern attitude and throw in some catchy melodies and bluesy grooves that Clutch also employ. It's been a winning formula for The Sword, and here, with such killer cuts as "The Veil of Isis", "Cloak of Feathers", "Arcane Montane", and "Dying Earth", the band might just be hitting their creative peak. "The Hidden Masters" smolders and crushes like classic Black Sabbath, while "Eyes of the Stormwitch" and the lethal title track have just the right amount of riff-o-rama and psychedelic madness. If you like guitar crunch, basically you've come to the right place.
No, there's not necessarily anything new here on Apocryphon that you haven't already heard from this fine band before stylistically speaking, but The Sword have now pretty much perfected their craft, and this latest release is astoundingly good, full of kick ass heavy rock from start to finish.
Track Listing
01 – "The Veil Of Isis"
02 – "Cloak Of Feathers"
03 – "Arcane Montane"
04 – "The Hidden Masters"
05 – "Dying Earth"
06 – "Execrator"
07 – "Seven Sisters"
08 – "Hawks & Serpents"
09 – "Eyes Of The Stormwitch"
10 – "Apocryphon"