The Sword

Infobox musical artist |
Name = The Sword


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Origin = Austin, Texas, USA
Years_active = 2003–present
Label = Kemado, Impedance, [cite web |url=http://www.impedance.com.au/ |title=Impedance Records |accessdate=2008-10-11 |publisher=Impedance Records ] Toy's Factory [cite web |url=http://www.toysfactory.co.jp/sword/index.html |title=The Sword |accessdate=2008-10-11 |publisher=Toy's Factory Records |language=Japanese ]
Associated_acts = Ultimate Dragons, Those Peabodys
URL = [http://www.swordofdoom.com/ www.swordofdoom.com]
Current_members = J. D. Cronise
Kyle Shutt
Bryan Richie
Trivett Wingo
Past_members =

The Sword is an American heavy metal band that formed in Austin, Texas in 2003.cite web |url=http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:dcftxq9sldse~T1 |title=The Sword > Biography |accessdate=2008-09-22 |last=Rivadavia |first=Eduardo |publisher=allmusic ] cite web |url=http://www.kemado.com/artists.php?req=show&artist=8 |title=The Sword |accessdate=2008-09-27 |publisher=Kemado Records ] cite web |url=http://www.metal-archives.com/band.php?id=57071 |title=The Sword |accessdate=2008-09-14 |publisher=Encyclopaedia Metallum ] The band comprises vocalist and guitarist John "J. D." Cronise, guitarist Kyle Shutt, bassist Bryan Richie and drummer Trivett Wingo; they are known for the appearance of their song "Freya" in the 2006 video game "Guitar Hero II".cite news |first=Chris |last=Roper |title=Guitar Hero II Final Tracklist Revealed |url=http://uk.ps2.ign.com/articles/737/737921p1.html |publisher=IGN |date=2006-10-09 |accessdate=2008-10-11 ]

History

After recording music on his own,cite interview |subject=J. D. Cronise |subjectlink=J. D. Cronise |interviewer=Mark Ziemke |title=The Sword are Gods of the Earth |url=http://groundcontrolmag.com/detail/1/925/ |program="Ground Control" |date=2008-03-04 |accessdate=2008-10-11 ] Cronise enlisted the help of Shutt, Richie and Wingo to form The Sword in 2003. The band released an eponymous demo, "The Sword", in 2004, which was followed the next year by a second demo, also self-titled. After performing at the 2005 South by Southwest festival, the band were signed to New York City-based label Kemado Records.

In February 2006 The Sword released their debut full-length album, "Age of Winters". In support of the album, they toured with such bands as Early Man, Priestess, Lacuna Coil and Trivium in the United States; Nebula and Clutch in Europe; and Lamb of God in Japan.cite web |url=http://www.swordofdoom.com/pastshows.html |title=past shows |accessdate=2008-10-11 |publisher=The Sword ] In June they contributed a new song, "Under the Boughs", to the Kemado compilation "Invaders", [cite web |url=http://www.kemado.com/artists.php?req=show&artist=14 |title=Compilations |accessdate=2008-09-27 |publisher=Kemado Records ] and in November the song "Freya" from "Age of Winters" was covered and featured as a playable track on the video game "Guitar Hero II". "Freya" was later released as a single in September 2007. [cite web |url=http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:aiftxzyhldae |title=Freya/Iron Swan > Overview |accessdate=2008-10-11 |publisher=allmusic ]

In November 2007 the band released a split extended play with Swedish doom metal band Witchcraft. The Sword's contribution included a new track, "Sea of Spears", as well as a cover of Led Zeppelin's "Immigrant Song". "Gods of the Earth" was the band's second studio album, released on April 1, 2008. In support of the album the band are, as of October 2008, touring with such acts as Machine Head, Lamb of God, Down and Metallica on their Death Magnetic Tour. "Gods of the Earth" reached #102 on the "Billboard 200" chart, [cite web |url=http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/retrieve_chart_history.do?model.chartFormatGroupName=Albums&model.vnuArtistId=705627&model.vnuAlbumId=1110628 |title=Artist Chart History - The Sword |accessdate=2008-09-27 |publisher="Billboard" ] becoming the only release by the band to chart anywhere.

tyle and lyrical themes

The Sword are commonly classified as doom metal,cite web |url=http://www.last.fm/music/The+Sword/+wiki |title=The Sword's Biography |accessdate=2008-10-01 |publisher=Last.fm ] alternative metal and stoner metal. allmusic describes them as being "at the forefront of ... the 'heritage' or 'retro metal' movement",cite web |url=http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:2v8n1v76zzua |title=Age of Winters > Overview |accessdate=2008-10-10 |last=Rivadavia |first=Eduardo |publisher=allmusic ] comparing the band to heavy metal veterans Black Sabbath and vocalist Cronise to Ozzy Osbourne. "Rolling Stone" also likens the band to Sabbath, [cite web |url=http://www.rollingstone.com/reviews/album/19781231/review/20533040/gods_of_the_earth |title=Gods Of The Earth : The Sword |date=2008-05-15 |accessdate=2008-10-10 |publisher="Rolling Stone" ] as do absolutepunk.net in their review of "Gods of the Earth", claiming that "It's impossible not to compare [the album] to the works of Black Sabbath." [cite web |url=http://www.absolutepunk.net/showthread.php?t=312739 |title=Sword, The - Gods of the Earth - Album Review |date=2008-04-18 |accessdate=2008-10-10 |publisher=absolutepunk.net ]

While every member of the band contributes to the compositions, Cronise is the sole writer of the band's lyrics. While influenced by Norse mythology, Cronise insists that his writing is not solely based on such a topic. He instead cites literature as his main influence, naming such famous authors as George R. R. Martin, Robert E. Howard, H. P. Lovecraft and Arthur C. Clarke.

Band members

*J. D. Cronise – vocals, guitars
*Kyle Shutt – guitars
*Bryan Richie – bass
*Trivett Wingo – drums

Discography

*"Age of Winters" (2006)
*"Gods of the Earth" (2008)

References

External links

* [http://www.swordofdoom.com/ Official website]
* [http://www.myspace.com/thesword Official MySpace profile]
* [http://www.kemado.com/artists.php?req=show&artist=8 Kemado Records profile]
* [http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1585821/20080417/metallica.jhtml MTV News article]