The Sword - Gods Of The Earth

I first heard these guys a year or two ago when they opened up for Lacuna Coil and In Flames at the Newport in Columbus, Ohio. It was December and I was back home for the holidays. I remember that I wasn't expecting much from a band called The Sword, but these guys came out and kicked some major ass. The Sword is one of the few bands that is reviving Black Sabbath type rock, even their logo looks like its from the 70s. It's just thick simple riffs with intricate leads layed over top. Add in one Ozzy sounding frontman and you've got a recipe for some damn fine rock 'n metal.

This album doesn't deviate much from the sound of their debut, God Of Winters, but its not like they are creating something original. Instead they are diving back into something that has been mostly forgotten from today's music. Although vocals such as this is now a rarity, and its refreshing to hear someone still doing it. Everyone is either brutal death, screeching black, or soaring power vocals. These guys certainly aren't the creative powerhouse of Ozzy and Iommi, but they've brewed up a fine treat of metal.

8/10 Ozzy would approve.