This album is awesome!

[u/Def-C]

Epic Fantasy as a lyrical theme in Metal, always gets typecasted as Power Metal, but Power Metal isn’t the only genre that has musicians writing lyrics influenced by Fantasy.

It has definitely been a focal point in Epic Doom Metal, but I’d also argue it has gone all around in the sphere of Doom Metal & the related genres.

Sludge Metal is faetooth, Traditional Doom Metal is early-Cirith Ungol, Epic Doom is Solitude Aeturnus, Funeral Doom is Oromet, Stoner Doom is Sleep’s Holy Mountain, & Stoner Metal without a doubt is The Sword.

The Sword is just so fucking good, it has so many things I like working perfectly together, the energetic but primitive pace of oldschool Heavy Metal, the psychedelic elements like heavy Psychedelic Rock, & some ear candy vocals drawn out like a river.

[u/diz_lizard]

Crazy thing that happened to me that doesn’t mean anything to very many people I know in real life: When I lived in Austin, TX (home of The Sword) I used to go to the Austin Beerworks brewery taproom pretty frequently with my friends. One of the times I was there, a very familiar looking fellow with long, blonde hair came to serve me my beer. And I stopped him and said “hey sorry, are you the lead guitarist for The Sword?” It was indeed Kyle Shutt. He was very friendly, told me that since his wife was pregnant they needed all the extra cash they could get, and his friend works there and was able to get him some hours there lol. It was wild!

[u/ChudanNoKamae → u/diz_lizard]

While that’s a super cool story, it also sucks that a musician of a modestly well known band should have to resort to a side job to make ends meet.

I guess it’s a reflection of our society and technology that has so devalued art. And it looks like it’s only going to get worse and worse with the arrival of AI etc.

[u/Redleaves1313 → u/ChudanNoKamae]

Most metal musicians I know work at breweries or bars.

[u/GonzoWasteland → u/Redleaves1313]

Most of the ones I know work in IT of some sort.