Album Review: The Sword - Warp Riders

The Sword - Warp Riders

Release Date August 24, 2010

Kermado

The third album from Austin, TX throwback metal group The Sword entitled Warp Riders has nothing throwback about it, for the band at least. This is The Sword's first shot at a concept album about, guess what, space.  Warp Riders, as stated by the band is a "concept album centered around an original science fiction narrative." In a genre where this imagery is somewhat of the norm, how does Warp Riders stack up?

Vocalist and guitar player J. D. Cronise took a back seat on production duties for this album and the band hired Matt Bayles. Bayles is best known for his work with Soundgarden, Isis, and Pearl Jam, he even produced engineered, and mixed the last two Mastodon albums, so the guy knows how to make a heavy album and it seems the band knows how to write some heavy riffs. 

Warp Riders is a devil-sign swinging head bobber, nothing new to The Sword, however the grittier, dirtier tones that were prevalent in the previous two albums, Age of Winters and Gods of the Earth have been cleaned up, taking away from The Sword's "doomier" edge, but not by much. This has been replaced with some seriously awesome riffs and better songwriting. 

The album is split into two parts, Part I: The Archer & the Orb and Part II: The Android & The Sword both 5 tracks each. Part I kicks off with Aceron/Unearthing the Orb which is an instrumental hot lick fest which leads into the album's first single Tres Brujas, a story about an exiled Archer who unearthed the orb (that can communicate with the holder) and runs into three witches that will help guide him in whatever he has to do. 

I don't know, I'd be pretty freaked if this magic orb started talking to me and telling me I'd meet prophetic witches. Maybe there's a line in the song that starts to explain what's going on... Inhaling deeply of the sacred smoke / Slipping in between the worlds, Ahh, makes sense now.

The story continues throughout the rest of this "side" of the album through the songs Arrows in the Dark, The Chronomancer I: Hubris, and Lawless Land. Our hero goes into a not-so-nice part of town, learns of his true mission to jettison across aether, and meets an angel all while accompanied by driving rhythm and guitar solos.

Part II: The Android & The Sword begins the same as Part I, heavy guitar instrumental. The protagonist then meets The Warp Riders, an ageless space traveling group of elders who ride into the "womb of night".  This brings us to the track Night City, the second single on the album. With a great riff and melody, this is my favorite track on Warp Riders, it's also about the seedy side of space.

I don't want to spoil the ending of the narrative so all I'm going to say is that you find out what the orb is all about, if you're interested.

If you liked the film Heavy Metal you'll enjoy the story of Warp Riders. If you need a new soundtrack to your D&D games, this is right up your alley. Sure to be a favorite among The Sword fans, Warp Riders delivers on what is expected from this retro metal band who has been gaining a lot of steam. The Sword has been featured on Guitar Hero, Megan Fox's horror masterpiece Jennifer's Body , and they were also the recipient of the High Times "Doobie Award" for Best Metal Band.

So if you like The Sword, science fiction, and weed, you'll probably like Warp Riders. On a scale from "Loves It" to "Not so Much" I give it a "It's pretty good".

Part I: The Archer & The Orb
1. Acheron/Unearthing the Orb (3:43)
2. Tres Brujas (4:09)
3. Arrows In the Dark (4:30)
4. The Chronomancer, Pt.1: Hubris (7:34)
5. Lawless Lands (5:09)

Part II: The Android & The Sword
6. Astraea's Dream (3:23)
7. The Warp Riders (3:57)
8. Night City (3:50)
9. The Chronomancer, Pt. 2: Nemesis (5:49)
10. (the Night the Sky Cried) Tears of Fire (6:11)

Length - 48:16

http://www.swordofdoom.com/

Episode 60 Recap

Hell of a show this week. For the first time in a while there were two Artist Focus' this week. In the first hour we listen to a pair of tracks from The Sword's newest title Warp Riders. If you're into The Sword and dig cosmic concept albums, this is right up your alley. A full review should be out sometime this week.

In hour #2 we had a Ramones cover by multi-instrumentalist retro garage enthusiast Ty Segall and a double-shot from the new Torche album Songs for Singles. Granted, I only played about 4 1/2 minutes of fresh Torche, but you probably got the point. Songs for Singles is an 8 track 22 minute fast paced, tight, barn burner much like its predecessor Meanderthal. A full review for that album should be up sometime soon. 

Well the blog has been up for about a week now and it's a lot better than the old site, which has effectively been abandoned. I will start bringing over old content for some sort of mega post in the future.

Next week we'll be taking a listen to a few select tracks from the Alain Johannes solo album Spark. Here is this week's playlist.

          1. Death From Above 1979 - Dead Womb
          2. Kyuss - 50 Million Year Trip (Downside Up)
          3. Brad Laner - June Gloom
          4. Turbo Fruits - Colt 45
          5. Masters Of Reality - Brown House On The Green Road
          6. Goatsnake - Innocent
          7. Gay Witch Abortion - Church Buffet
          8. The Sword - Tres Brujas *
          9. The Sword - Night City *
          10. Humo del Cairo - Fuego De San Antonio
          11. Hater - Down Undershoe
          12. Mark Lanegan - One Hundred Days
          13. Skooma - The Sliver Medal
          14. Black Mountain - The Way To Gone
          15. earthlings? - Nothing
          16. Valkyrie - Green Highlander
          17. Pell Mell - Blacktop 
          18. Ty Segall - You Should Never Have Opened That Door #
          19. Jesu - Sun Day
          20. Torche - Hideaway *
          21. Torche - Cast Into Unknown *
          22. Sardonis - The Hollow
          23. Colour Haze - Stratofarm
          24. The Freeks - Basque in the Splendor
          25. The Atomic Bitchwax - Liquor Queen
          26. Wellwater Conspiracy - C, Myself And Eye

* - Artist Focus

# - Cover of the Week

Remember everyone, this blog is still under construction, so if you have any ideas/suggestions, send them my way! You can follow me on Twitter @VMFM_Divo or click the link on the lower right side of the page.

Don't forget, the Turbo Fruits will be performing with Pujol at the Vintage Theater in downtown Scranton (119 Penn Ave.) on Tuesday, October 19th. The show starts at 6pm. You can RSVP HERE.

See you next week!

The only thing trippier than tonight's show...

In the same vein of Houston Hip-Hop legend and codeine depository DJ Screw (R.I.P.) comes this wonderful remix of a Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen classic (?).

While tonight's show may have plenty of psychedelic gems, I don't think anything will come close to how trippy this one is.

See you tonight at 10!

Episode 59 Recap - Back!!

As I mentioned on the show, after settling a contract dispute through hours of meetings and litigation, I have returned to the airwaves for another exciting season of "It Came from the Desert". This season I have a myriad of new music and a briefcase full of cash (which undoubtedly will go to my all star team of lawyers). I also have this brand new fancy blog, which seems a lot easier to take care of than it looks. I will be posting a boatload of crap from here on out; such as tour dates, interviews, album reviews, and the mainstay - the weekly playlist.

So what does this mean for you? Because it's the GO GO 2010's, I have provided an easier way to keep up with your favorite post-prime-time-desert-stoner-psych-garage-doom-instrumental-Pennsylvania-college-radio-show. I believe this format will be a lot easier for the both of us to use (That's me and my one dedicated listener).

If you have some how stumbled upon this blog and don't know what's going on, I, Divo, host It Came from the Desert, every Sunday night from 10PM - Midnight on VMFM 91.7 (http://www.vmfm917.org/) I showcase the best of Desert/Stoner/Psych/Doom/Garage/Whatever-Is-Heavy music, and have so for nearly 3 years.

Well then, let's get to it. Here is this weeks playlist.

1. Desert Sessions Vol. 2 -  Johnny the Boy

2. Dead Meadow - Indian Bones
3. Masters of Reality - Moriah

4. Queens Of The Stone Age -In The Fade
5. Whores Of Tijuana - 6 Minutes Of Lovin
6. Eagles Of Death Metal - Heart On
7. Black Mountain - The Hair Song *
8. Black Mountain - Radiant Hearts *
9. Gay Witch Abortion - Down With Giants
10. Skooma - Rainbolt
11. Valkyrie - Running Out
12. Drive Like Maria - So
13. Turbo Fruits - Sadie
14. Kyuss - Supa Scoopa and Mighty Scoop
15. Death From Above 1979 - Little Girl
16. Comets On Fire - The Antlers of the Midnight Sun
17. Sardonis - The Wolf's Lair
18. Egypt - Queen of All Time (Red Giant)
19. Wellwater Conspiracy - Of Dreams #
20. Fatso Jetson - Heavenly Hearse
21. Brad Laner - Sure
22. Freedom Hawk - Universal
23. Humo del Cairo - Nimbo 

* - Artist Focus

# - Cover of the Week

This weeks cover was Wellwater Conspiracy doing Steve Morgen's "Of Dreams" Don't know Steve Morgen? Shame on you. Get to know the Fuzz God with the original track.