Review:

on 2012-12-31 nlathy Said:

These guys rock hard, and I like them. I've listened in recent days to Motorhead, Melvins and Anthrax in recent days, and I prefer Sword. They sound better than other oldies like Black Sabbath, Kiss and AC/DC. I wish they could bring some wit into their lyrics like Jimi Hendrix, Aerosmith, Blue Oyster Cult, Alice Cooper and even Led Zep could at times. The irony is probably unintentional when they urge people to "take up your swords."
Still, this is catchy music. They show musical mastery on "The Hidden Masters."
Maybe they really believe the earth is about to end. I don't know if this makes them advocates for global warming (It's really cold outside). Or if they're into the Book of Revelation or the Mayan calendar, but they can crank out the guitar via Kyle Schutt.
"Eyes of the Stormwitch" is my favorite cut on the album. Santiago "Jimmy" Vela's drumming is powerful here, and I find myself impressed by Bryan Richie's bass playing, as well.
Richie adds some spice with his synthesizer work early in the title cut, which is real a powerhouse.
J.D. Cronise's vocals are solid throughout. His singing does recall Ozzy Osbourne, when he was with Sabbath. But Cronise is with a better band and singing better songs.
The Deluxe edition provides five bonus tracks. Four of these are live performances, and are well done.
There's also a cover of ZZ Top's "Cheap Sunglasses." This shows they can vary their heavy metal format. It makes me look forward to what they put out next.
Rating: 8/10