Список групп Stoner Doom The Sword Gods of the Earth

The Sword's 2008 LP "Gods of the Earth" attacks with a fury more akin to a hammer than its namesake. Doom in tone but faster and thrashier, The Sword abuses more than uses thier weapons of sound. From this criterion, the MVP is easily the percussionist Trivett Wingo. His execution is downright animalistic: drums are beaten, cymbals are crashed, and the pounding is relentless, noizy, and loud. As this is the defining sound on all of the tracks, "Under The Boughs", "The Frost-Giant's Daughter", and "How Heavy This Axe" are the exceptional examples. The rest of the band follows suit with a sound that is collectively dirty, blunt, heavy, dragging, and raw. Solos are rare, but when they do appear they echo a late seventies feel. The rhythm backdrop is more relative to an early eighties template. Coupled with a garage band kind of sophistication, it is therefore fresh when you consider the catchiness of the many thrash riffs that appear throughout "Gods of the Earth". "Lords", "To Take The Black" and "The White Sea" each feature some of that melodic phrasing that adds to the dominant heavy sound that is their trademark. The best aspect of their songwriting; however, comes from the commitment of playing thrash metal licks to move songs forward and keep them interesting. In this regard, "The Sundering" introduces the album very well, with "...Hyperzephyrians" and "The Black River" maintaining that integrity just as well. Lyrically, the themes are meaningless and adds nothing to the songs. The lead vocalist, John D. Cronise, adds so much with his guitarwork that the thinness and weakness of his voice is tolerable. For a stripped down, simple, and tolling metallic creation that is "Gods of the Earth" it is perhaps the only place where his pitch can survive. All put together though, The Sword's "Gods of the Earth" is a blunt force traumatic experience of non-embellished, old school, and sleazy heavy metal; a most enjoyable album indeed.