Disco de The Sword: “Warp Riders”

I've been listening to these guys since the first album, and I've been liking them more and more with each album. I gotta say, I was not a huge fan of Age of Winters - the sound was muddy, the songs were unoriginal and the vocals sucked. Nonetheless, there were some good grooves and riffs and I happily got their next one - Gods of the Earth. I thought it was an improvement, mostly better songs, but still with weak vocals. But Warp Riders... Wow this is much better! I was excited to hear Matt Bayles was producing, as he did a great job with Mastodon (Blood Mountain, Leviathan). As expected, the sound is much better, better separation of the guitars without losing any heaviness, but most importantly, the vocals are awesome! These songs are all really good - the whole album flows very seamlessly, and there are no weak tracks. That being said, some of the songs are a bit more "commercial" than their older stuff (Tres Brujas, Night City), but they are still pretty good with catchy riffs and great drums. This is very listenable - it's been in my car for about 6 weeks and I'm still playing it. Some people have mentioned a 'southern rock' feel - I'm not sure it's ZZ Top, but definitely more "rock" sounding than the other albums. I actually can see Phil Lynott(RIP) singing some of these songs, which I don't think I ever would have thought about an album from The Sword. Definitely worth getting.

The setting is the planet Acheron. The antagonist is Ereth, an archer who has been banished from his tribe. In his journeys since banishment, he discovers a mysterious orb in an ancient ruin and is tasked by the Chronomancer with restoring balance to his troubled home-world. Along the way, Ereth encounters various characters such as three witches and four space pirates who are crewmen aboard a spacecraft known as The Sword.

It isn't often an album makes you wish you could hop a time machine back to the 1980s and make a Science Fiction film based on it. But such is the case with "Warp Riders," the latest album from the Texas metal band The Sword.

In and interview with Decibel Magazine, The Sword's lead singer and primary songwriter, J.D. Cronise, said, "This is what you'd technically call a `concept album,' though I'd describe it as more of a soundtrack to a story I came up with."

Fans of bands such as Mastodon or Coheed and Cambria will surely love "Warp Riders," because the subject matter is very reminiscent of Coheed and Cambria's "Armory Wars" series or Mastodon's "Crack the Skye."

An album like "Warp Riders" is encouraging to those of us who still believe in the cohesive unit of an entire album, especially in a digital age, where the release of the single is of primary focus. And a concept album is a perfect way to demonstrate how 10 songs can fit together and flow into one another as part of the same story.

Since 2003, The Sword has been a driving force in the heavy metal community. The band's initial mainstream recognition came when their song "Freya" was featured on the "Guitar Hero II" video game. They gained yet more recognition when the godfathers of mainstream metal, Metallica, discovered them and featured their song "The Black River" on "Guitar Hero: Metallica," as well as asked them to be the opening act on the most recent leg of their "Death Magnetic" tour.

"Warp Riders" marks the first time that the collective genius of The Sword is coupled with the experience of producer Matt Bayles. Bayles is no stranger to epic albums, as some of his previous production credits include the first three studio albums from metal gods Mastodon.

It's easy to see that Bayles' point of view helped The Sword to sound more focused in terms of hi-fi production and a tighter rhythm. Aside from a fresh perspective as far as production goes, not much else is different here apart from the concrete story. Both of The Sword's previous albums -- 2006's "Age of Winters" and 2008's "Gods of the Earth" -- were just as heavy and riff-driven but did not adhere to a tangible storyline.

One difference is that The Sword has gotten more adventurous with instrumental songs. I appreciate it when a band exercises its right to say just as much through instrumentals as with lyrics. On this album there are several instrumental tracks that fall right in line with the story. Songs like this really help set the scene for the storyline. As a listener, you are free to let your imagination run wild and form your own movie with your mind's eye.

"Warp Riders" is a gem to music lovers the world over, from the heavy music to the storyline all the way down to the album cover. The Sword's previous albums proved impressive enough, but this album just sets up the band to be the next big driving force in the metal/rock community.

When you listen to this album, you feel like you've been sucked through a time warp into 1981's HEAVY METAL animated movie. I put this album on my ipod and hit gym. It's puts you into a great zone. I'm in my 30's and always hard time discovering new bands that appeal to my taste. This is a great album!

Now, I'm not a man to throw around stars lightly. But, given the nature of this album, and the fact that it is dedicated to a journey through the stars, and it is produced by a group of rising stars, and... OK, I'm out of puns. Truth is, this is a masterpiece. It defies genre and challenges metal at its foundations. Woe to the legions of noobs who bow before talentless aggregates of emulsifying slush who call themselves "hardcore", for these brave warriors of rock, built from the ground up with metal in their souls, will drive the glory back into heavy metal with a titanium hammer. I chose a titanium hammer because it's really hard, but it's still light enough to wield gracefully. Furthermore, I am typically illiterate, but this beautiful bands latest work of genius somehow instilled poetry in the function of my saliva glands, and so I summarily spit said poetry onto this page with the enthusiasm of a dipper.

To sum it all up in a single word: Warp Riders is "Awesome". Also worth the money, so buy it, nubs.

I was craving something heavy and their name kept coming up, so I made the purchase. Glad I did. These guys have a great sound. Listen to "Tres Brujas" three times. If you're not a fan after that move on. I also really dig the opening track, and my favorite on side two is "Night City".

These guys have been opening for Kyuss (lives) recently. Good match. Toss Kyuss, Atomic Bitchwax and Mastodon in a blender and you'd get The Sword. Just my opinion.

I got the vinyl. I've seen the vinyl come in orange and purple, but mine was black. Free mp3 code though.