Tag: The Sword
0 THE SWORD TO RELEASE THIRD ALBUM, WARP RIDERS ON AUGUST 24th VIA KEMADO RECORDS
TAKE A PEEK AT WARP RIDERS’ NEW ARTWORK
One of the foundations of the metal revival of the past ten years, Austin TX’s The Sword have released two flawless slabs of vintage heaviness on Kemado Records, toured the world with Metallica, and were honored to grace the past three editions of Guitar Hero. This summer, the band casts its gaze to the stars for Warp Riders, their third full-length and their most ambitious effort to date. Hitting stores on August 24th via Kemado Records, it is the band’s first concept album and is fittingly grand in scope both lyrically and in terms of musical craftsmanship.
This also marks the first release where the group has worked with an outside producer. Helmed by Matt Bayles (Pearl Jam, Mastodon, Isis), Warp Riders is anchored by an epic science-fiction narrative. The storyline is a psychedelic space opera that explores temporal themes of death and rebirth.
The album also finds The Sword expanding their range from pure metal to include bone-crunching hard rock at large. Rather than dampening their sound, the band actually sounds more amplified than ever, spewing out some of their most scalding riffs to date and channeling an unearthly bellow from their low end.
Opening track “Acheron/Unearthing The Orb” begins with ominous, fog-drenched atmosphere before a flurry of nimble fretwork and galloping drums storm out of the gate. The energy doesn’t let up once and by the final moments of closing track “(The Night Sky Cried) Tears of Fire,” an intensely satisfying resolution sets in. Guitarists Kyle Shutt and JD Cronise execute punishing acrobatics while injecting melody at every turn. Bryan Richie’s warm bass lays down the foundation and ripples with menace. Trivett Wingo’s drumming explodes with the perfect balance of both precision and dexterity. Each member of The Sword is an individual force to be reckoned with, but when united they come together like the four horsemen of the apocalypse to wreak havoc like no other.
7 Metallica Announces U.S. Tour Dates
TOUR SHOCKER … METALLICA TO PLAY IN N. AMERICA!
Time for a different sort of vacation … one right here on our home turf!! Now that “Death Magnetic” is complete, we’re ready to start a proper indoor arena tour of the States and Canada and we can’t wait to visit all of our ‘Talli-fans here . . . it really has been too long (hey, what’s four years amongst friends?).
Met Clubbers and Mission Metallica Platinum members will have first crack at ’em when tickets go on sale . . . dates, times and in general more on that later. But for now, we thought we would let you know where we’ll be for the next couple of months . . . here’s a complete list of cities and venues up through January 31, 2009!
Keep watching here for all ticket on sale dates and times . . . coming very soon. See you out there!
All October/November dates with Down and The Sword :
October 21 – Glendale, AZ Jobing Arena
October 23 – Albquerque, NM Tingley Coliseum
October 25 – Kansas City, MO Sprint Center
October 26 – Des Moines, IA Wells Fargo Arena
November 1 – Portland, OR Rose Quarter
November 3 – Salt Lake City, UT Energy Solutions Arena
November 4 – Denver, CO Pepsi Center
November 6 – Omaha, NE Qwest Center
November 8 – Moline, IL iWireless Center
November 9 – Columbus, OH Schottenstein Center
November 17 – St. Louis, MO Scottrade Center
November 18 – Tulsa, OK BOK Center
November 20 – Houston, TX Toyota Center
November 22 – Little Rock, AR Alltel Arena
November 23 – New Orleans, LA New Orleans Arena
All December dates with Lamb of God and The Sword:
December 1 – Seattle, WA Key Arena
December 2 – Vancouver, BC GM Place
December 4 – Calgary, AB Pengrowth Saddledome
December 7 – Edmonton, AB Rexall Place
December 12 – Ontario, CA Citizens Bank Arena
December 13 – Fresno, CA Save Mart Center
December 15 – San Diego, CA Cox Arena
December 17 – Los Angeles, CA The Forum
December 20 – Oakland, CA Oracle Arena
All January dates with Machine Head and The Sword:
January 12 – Milwaukee, WI Bradley Center
January 13 – Detroit, MI Joe Louis Arena
January 15 – Washington, DC Verizon Center
January 17 – Philadelphia, PA Wachovia Center
January 18 – Boston, MA TD Banknorth Center
January 26 – Chicago, IL Allstate Arena
January 29 – Uniondale, NY Nassau Coliseum
January 31 – Newark, NJ Prudential Center
6 2008 New Rock Releases and Reissues (Updated)
I started compiling the following list of New releases for 2008. This may not be a complete list, but so much great new music has arrived in 2008, so far, I though it would be a good idea to keep a running tab of what has come out, and what is on the way. The releases through August have been confirmed. Releases with a question mark have not been confirmed yet. This list will be updated as more news arrives.
Updated July 9, 2008
January
Drive By Truckers – Brigher Than Creation’s Dark
Airbourne – Running Wild (U.S. Release)
Bullet For My Valentine – Scream Aim Fire
Gamma Ray – Land of the Free, Part 2
Ayreon – 01011001
American Speedway – Ship of Fools
Lillian Axe – Love and War (Reissue)
Lillian Axe – S/T (Reissue)
Sleeze Beez – Screwed Blued & Tattooed (Reissue)
Sleeze Beez – Powertool (Reissue)
Stonerider – Three Legs of Trouble
Thieves & Liars – When Dreams Become Reality
Tiles – Fly Paper
Saint Daemon – In Shadows Lost From the Brave
Pagan’s Mind – God’s Equation
February
DVD – Iron Maiden – Live After Death
DVD – Scorpions – Live at Wacken Open Air 2006
DVD – Overkill – Live at Wacken Open Air 2007
DVD – Thin Lizzy – Live and Dangerous
Three – End is Begun
Pillar – For the Love of the Game
Avantasia – The Scarecrow
UFO – Phenomenon (Reissue)
UFO – No Heavy Pettin (Reissue)
UFO – Force It (Reissue)
Type O Negative – Dead Again (Red Version)
Hurricane – Over the Edge (Reissue)
Hurricane – Take What You Want (Reissue)
Hurricane – Slave To the Thrill (Reissue)
Hericane Alice – Tear the House Down (Reissue)
Baton Rouge – Shake Your Soul (Reissue)
Baton Rouge – Lights Out on The Playground (Reissue)
Wrathchild America – Climbing the Walls (Reissue)
Tangier – Four Winds (Reissue)
Tangier – Stranded (Reissue)
Danko Jones – Never Too Loud
King’s Call – No Alibi
March
Benedictum – Seasons of Tragedy
Inflikted – Cavalera Conspiracy
Saving Abel – S/T
Steve Stevens – Memory Crash
Firewind – The Premonition
DVD – Zebra
King Kobra – Ready to Strike (Reissue)
King Kobra – Thrill of a Lifetime (Reissue)
Icon – Right Between the Eyes (Reissue)
Black Tide – Light From Above
House of Lords – Come To My Kingdom
Warrior – Fighting For The Earth (Reissue)
Shannon – Angel in Disguise
Whitecross – 1987
Black Crowes – Warpaint
Diamond Head – Borrowed Time (Reissue)
Diamond Head – Canterbury (Reissue)
April
Fatal Smile – World Domination
Saints of the Underground – Love the Sin, Hate the Sinner
Theory of a Deadman – Scars & Souvenirs
Whitesnake – Good To Be Bad
Dominici – 03 A Trilogy Part 3
Asia – Phoenix
Testament – The Formation of Damnation
The Sword – Gods of The Earth
Dream Theater – Greatest Hit (And 21 other pretty cool songs)
P.O.D. – When Angels and Serpents Dance
Sevendust – Chapter VII: Hope and Sorrow
In Flames – Sense of Purpose
Kamelot – Ghost Opera: The Second Coming
Ministry – Cover Up
DVD – Axel Rudi Pell – Live Over Europe
Keel – Lay Down the Law (Reissue)
White Lion – Return of the Pride
Circle II Circle – Delusions of Grandeur
Crimson Glory – S/T (Reissue)
Crimson Glory – Transcendence (Reissue)
Tantric – The End Begins
Nine Inch Nails – Ghosts I – IV
May
Iron Maiden – Somewhere Back In Time: The Best Of 1980-1989
MSG – In the Midst of Beauty
3 Doors Down – S/T
Bombay Black – Psycho Magnet
Def Leppard – Songs From The Sparkle Lounge
Kip Winger – From the Moon To the Sun
Eden – Oblivion
King’s X – XV
M.ILL.ION – Thrill Of The Chase
Dokken – Lightning Strikes Again
10 Years – Division
Jon Oliva’s Pain – Global Warning
Flotsam and Jetsam – Cuatro (Reissue)
Gun Barrel – Outlaw invasion
Brother Firetribe – Heart Full of Fire
Circle II Circle – Delusions of Grandeur
Southern Gentleman – Valley of Fire
10 Years – Division
Glenn Hughes – First Underground Nuclear Kitchen
Souls of We – Let The Truth Be Known (Featuring George Lynch and London LeGrand)
June
Disturbed – Indestructible
Bret Michaels – Rock My World
Man Raze – Surreal
Motley Crue – Saints of Los Angeles
Judas Priest – Nostradamus (2 CD Set)
JORN – Lonely Are the Brave
Flotsam & Jetsam – When The Storm Comes Down (Reissue)
Clusterhead – Times of No Trust
Shinedown – The Sound of Madness
Harem Scarem – Hope
Valient Thorr – Immortalizer
July
The Dogs Divine – Way of Life
Stephen Pearcy – Under My Skin
Tesla – Comin Atcha Live – DVD
Hydrogyn – Deadly Passions
Gypsy Rose – S/T (Featuring David Reece)
Harem Scarem – Hope
Ritchie Kotzen – Live in San Paolo
Silent Rage – Four Letter World
Night Ranger – Hole in the Sun
Jet Black Stare – In This Life
Jesse James Dupree and Dixie Inc – Rev It Up and Go Go
Alice Cooper – Along Came a Spider
Black Sabbath – The Rules of Hell CD Boxset
August
Black Stone Cherry – Folklore & Superstition
Slipknot – All Hope is Gone
Trapt – Only Through The Pain (Aug 5th)
The Showdown – Back Breaker
Dragonforce – Ultra Beatdown
Extreme – Saudades De Rock (Aug 15th)
Asphalt Valentine?
September
Tesla?
Papa Roach – Metamorphisis
Evergrey – Torn
Bullet – Bite the Bullet
Buckcherry – Black Butterfly
Metallica – Death Magnetic
Iced Earth – The Crucible Of Man (Something Wicked Part II)
October
Anthrax?
November
Starbreaker – Love’s Dying Wish
December
AC/DC?
Aerosmith?
3 Metallica to Perform at 2008 Ozzfest
Ozzy Osbourne, Metallica, Jonathan Davis of Korn, Serj Tankian, Hellyeah, Sevendust and Shadows Fall, among others, are scheduled to appear at this year’s one-off Ozzfest, to be held Aug. 9 at Pizza Hut Park in Dallas.
Other main stage acts on the bill are Cavalera Conspiracy, Apocalyptica, In This Moment and an all-star tribute to late Pantera guitarist “Dimebag” Darrell Abbott. Second stage acts are Devildriver, Kingdom of Sorrow, Soilent Green, Witchcraft and Goatwhore. The Sword, Drowning Pool and Rigor Mortis will handle duties on the third stage.
“We’re going to be a stadium destination festival for now — we have gone past doing the sheds every summer,” says Ozzy’s wife, Sharon Osbourne, who is producing Ozzfest with AEG Live. “We’ve given everyone else the blueprint and we have to keep evolving Ozzfest. This is just the beginning; AEG Live and I have a lot of new ideas for Ozzfest.”
Ozzfest will be Osbourne’s only concert performance this summer. Tickets for the one-day festival will go on sale May 31 via Ozzfest.com; prices have not yet been announced.
Last year, the Osbournes created a stir when they revealed the Live Nation-produced Ozzfest would be a sponsor-driven, free event, and acts would be asked to play without being paid. The 25-date amphitheater tour featured such artists as Lamb Of God, Hatebreed and Lordi, among others
Courtesy of Billboard.com
1 The Sword Unleashes a new video!
The Sword’s brand new music video – for the song ‘Fire Lances of the Ancient Hyperzephyrians’ – sees its world online premiere today via Stereogum. Click Here to view the video.
‘Fire Lances of the Ancient Hyperzephyrians’ is taken from The Sword’s impending new album, Gods of the Earth, which will drop on April 1, via Kemado Records. The follow up to the band’s critically acclaimed debut Age of Winters, Gods of the Earth was recorded at Folkvang Studios in Austin, TX, and is said to be “more ambitious, more accomplished and simply bigger.”
The Austin, TX-based quartet has announced both U.S. and United Kingdom headlining tours in support of the much anticipated new album. The Sword will launch a UK headlining trek on March 25 in Nottingham. The tour will hit London’s Underworld venue on April 3. Support on The Sword tour will be provided by Oakland, CA quartet Saviours and San Francisco’s Black Cobra.
On April 14, The Sword will kick off a west coast U.S. headlining run. The 13 city jaunt will feature support from Slough Feg and Brooklyn progressive thrash trio Children. Additional The Sword U.S. headlining dates are expected to be announced in the immediate future.
The Sword has also been announced as one of the featured artists of the 2008 Bonnaroo Music Festival, set to take place June 12-15 in Manchester, TN. Known for showcasing “some of the best performers in rock and roll, along with dozens of artists in complementary styles,” Bonnaroo 2008 will see The Sword perform alongside such acts as Metallica, Sigur Ros, Robert Plant and Alison Krauss, The Raconteurs, M.I.A. and Willie Nelson. A full listing of upcoming The Sword live dates follows this message.
The final track listing for Gods of the Earth is as follows:
- 1.) The Sundering
2.) The Frost Giant’s Daughter
3.) How Heavy This Axe
4.) Lords
5.) Fire Lances of the Ancient Hyperzephyrians
6.) To Take the Black
7.) Maiden, Mother & Crone
8.) Under the Boughs
9.) The Black River
10.) The White Sea
The Sword features guitarist / vocalist J.D. Cronise, guitarist Kyle Shutt, bassist Bryan Richie and drummer Trivett Wingo.
0 The Sword to release Gods of the Earth in April!
The Sword has completed work on its wildly-anticipated sophomore album, entitled Gods of the Earth. The follow up to the band’s critically acclaimed debut Age of Winters, Gods of the Earth is set for an April 1, 2008 release via diverse NYC label Kemado Records.
Recorded at Folkvang Studios in Austin, TX, Gods of the Earth instantly conveys what words can only try to describe: The Sword is not to be taken lightly. From the moment the album’s lead track “The Sundering” explodes, it is immediately apparent that the Sword has upped the ante on a sound all its own. More ambitious, more accomplished and simply bigger, Gods of the Earth’s huge, mountaintop-friendly hooks, thunderous drumming and oceanic bass lines cut through the air like a scythe, while the ominous vocals of frontman J.D. Cronise weave fantastical tales rife with myth and mythology. Waves of powerful riffs and low-end thunder dominate songs such as the immediate “Maiden, Mother & Crone”, “Fire Lances of the Ancient Hyperzephyrians”, “Under the Boughs” and the paralyzing “The Black River”.
The final track listing for Gods of the Earth is as follows:
1.) The Sundering
2.) How Heavy This Axe
3.) Lords
4.) Fire Lances of the Ancient Hyperzephyrians
5.) To Take the Black
6.) Maiden, Mother & Crone
7.) Under the Boughs
8.) The Black River
9.) The White Sea
0 New Valient Thorr Album in 2008, plus new tour dates!
Venusian rockers and occasional Earth dwellers, Valient Thorr, will begin working on a new album at the start of 2008. The band will spend January in Southern California writing and demoing new material before heading to Seattle to record with Jack Endino (Nirvana, Soundgarden, Mudhoney, High On Fire) at Studio Litho and Soundhouse Recording in February. This new album and follow up to their 2006 release, Legend of the World, will be released Summer 2008.
Valient Himself, lead singer of the group, said this about working with Endino, “Man, we’re psyched to begin working with Jack on the new album. Not only because of his discography, but after meeting him out on the Volcom Tour, I realized he was just as big of a record obsessive as I was.” Valient Thorr and Endino met and toured together earlier this year on the Volcom Tour where Endino was playing guitar in the group, Kandi Coded. Valient Himself goes on to say, “Check out his [Endino’s] meticulously detailed website, we could geek out on it for hours about hard to find badass tunes. The dude knows his sh*t back to front. This record is going to be over the top.”
Valient Thorr will be road testing some new songs – “Mask Of Sanity”, “Infinite Lives”, and “1000 Winters In a Row” – this month, when they join up for a two-week tour with The Sword and Black Cobra (see all dates below).
12/5 Washington, D.C. @ The Black Cat w/The Sword, Black Cobra
12/6 New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom w/The Sword, Black Cobra
12/7 Philadelphia, PA @ First Unitarian Church w/The Sword, Black Cobra
12/8 Cambridge, MA @ Middle East Downstairs w/The Sword, Black Cobra
12/9 Northampton, MA @ Pearl Street Nightclub w/The Sword, Black Cobra
12/11 Buffalo, NY @ Mohawk Place w/The Sword, Black Cobra
12/12 Cleveland Heights, OH @ Grog Shop w/The Sword, Black Cobra
12/13 Chicago, IL @ Reggie’s Rock Club w/The Sword, Black Cobra
12/14 Milwaukee, WI @ The Rave Bar w/The Sword, Black Cobra
12/15 Minneapolis, MN @ Triple Rock Social Club w/The Sword, Black Cobra
12/16 Iowa City, IA @ The Picador w/The Sword, Black Cobra
12/17 Kansas City, MO @ Record Bar w/The Sword, Black Cobra
Hard Rock Hideout 