Austin Music Bringeth Forth, The Sword

From the striking of heavy metal thunder, I give thee the raw power of Austin locals The Sword. Hailing from Austin in 2003, with front man, J.D Cronise who casts mystical lyrics and guitar riffs that only can be summoned from the gods. Forming out of the Virginia based band, Ultimate Dragons, with band mate and drummer Trivett Wingo and later fused with two other band members, bassist Bryan Ritchie and guitarist Kyle Shutt-who were playing in various bands in Texas. The music unfolded into a dark Nordic metal sound that shook the ground and eardrums of many local fans. In 2006, released their first debut album The Age of Winter, with the track "Freya" based on the Norse goddess of love, beauty, and war that bring the hard exchanges of guitar shred that will have your head banging uncontrollably and spinning like a windmill. In 2008, the album Gods of the Earth, released the track "The Black River", which earned the graces on Guitar Hero: Metallica. The Sword is best described by critics as 'Stoner Metal' and upholds its status by winning the "Doobie Award" from High Times and recognized by its local fame winning the title from the Austin Music Awards as Best Metal Artist in 2009, 2010, and 2011.

The album Warp Riders released in August of 2010, featured the hit track, "Tres Brujas" (Three Witches) written in accordance with Shakespeare's Macbeth and their last album release, Apocryphon, released in 2012. Both albums will take you on a sci-fi journey with rock operatic scores that is surely to raise the metal mania from the 70's and 80's back to its original fist pumping position.