AlterMusic

Hey man, is that freedom rock? Well turn it up man! The Austin, Texas band The Sword gives off a definite retro vibe on their debut album. The fuzzy guitars are the main reason for that. However, they also have plenty of modern elements and riffs in their music.
You won't read a review of this album that doesn't mention their similarity to Black Sabbath, and for good reason. Their sound is very reminiscent of Sabbath, but they add a few others things to the mix. They start with the traditional metal sound and mix in a combination of sludge, stoner, doom and even some Seattle style grunge. Most of the songs are mid-tempo, but they do crank it up on a couple of tracks.

Their debut album is a cool combination of complex arrangements, excellent guitar work and the aforementioned retro vibe.