The Sword Album: “Age of Winters//Gods of the Earth”

I'm astounded this hasn't gotten a review yet (13 Apr 09). For less that $20, it includes two full length CDs: Age of Winters and Gods of the Earth.

A young friend loaned me a copy of Age of Winters and it definitely rocked my brain. This band is truly channeling the spirit of peak-era Black Sabbath. They're not a tribute act, and they're not copying Sabbath's style, but there's definitely a homage feeling to it. No filler tracks or cliche guitar leads, just a juggernaut of powerful, pseudo-viking heavy metal.

Sonically, a wonderfully balanced, thick and full production.

See the reviews of the individual CDs here on Amazon for more raves...

This band simply rocks! I haven't been so surprised by good hard rock in years. I keep thinking my affinity toward what they're doing is novel and that it will wear off, but the more I feed myself a little of their music day by day I realize I've been hungering for this sorta thing done just this way. Yes, you can hear the Sabbath, and yes you can hear the rhythmic modernisms of thrash, and yes it's cleverly interwoven, but they're not just clever; it is a genuinely inventive concoction to fuel the concepts of their work. If a lot of their stuff sounds sort of the same, I don't think you can fault them too badly. Artists go through stages in their expressive voices, and this is the voice of this golden age for them. I am so happy to have woken up to them one morning on my local college radio station. Long live the Sword!