There's a musical revolution on the horizon. It began in the late '90s when a new crop of bands began to emerge, who had a taste for the big, fat, gigantic riffs of the '70s. They called it "Stoner Rock." Artists such as Sloburn, Nebula, Unida, and others were turning heads in the underground. It seemed to fade a bit when Metalcore began to emerge and the mainstream failed to notice. Indeed the corporate labels wanted nothing to do with it, opting more for the screamo/croony type of sound that they could sell to angst filled Hot Topic teens who didn't know any better.

That all seems to be changing, however, as much of current aggro genre lacks any real passion or conviction. The one band that seems to be leading the charge is Austin Texas' The Sword. I had kept hearing their name pop up here and there, but didn't pay much attention. Then I started reading praises from unlikely sources such as Billboard, Rolling Stone, and MTV. So I decided to investigate for myself and what I heard absolutely blew me away. The Sword indeed lobbed my head off, and my severed noggin was banging on its own with a big grin on it. Their music restored my faith in the younger generation of bands who refuse to follow trends and just Rock from their hearts. Believe me when I tell you that these guys are the real deal. Many people have likened them to High On Fire and Mastodon. But, they've got their own thing going on and in addition to the obvious Sabbath type riffs, they also incorporate some New Wave Of British Heavy Metal influences. Good stuff indeed.

The Sword descended upon club Spaceland to an enthusiastic and curious crowd. Most in attendance were not familiar with the band. But by song number two, they had the attendees in the palm of their hand, Performing a slew of songs from their just released "Age Of Winters," The Sword slayed the venue with their incredible set. Tracks such as "Barael's Blade, "Freya," and "Iron Swan" left a deep impression on the minds of the newly converted. Finishing up with the instrumental "March Of The Lair," it had us all longing for more. Do yourself a favor and get into this band now! There's no excuse. Remember, you heard it here first. www.swordofdoom.com and www.myspace.com/thesword