Reactivated Texan heavy rockers THE SWORD hace announced their first slate of U.S. tour dates. The legendary Austin band heads west this summer, performing the epic “Warp Riders” album in its entirety to mark the record’s 15th anniversary.
THE SWORD frontman John D. Cronise states: “This is probably the only chance people will have to see us perform the entire album, so don’t miss out!”
Tickets go on sale this Friday, May 2 at 10 a.m. local time via TheSwordOfficial.com. RICKSHAW BILLIE’S BURGER PATROL and PINK FUZZ will support on all dates.
A special, limited-edition reissue of “Warp Riders” was released for Record Store Day. Remastered by J. Robbins, the “Sea Of Pyres” vinyl variant features an embossed mirror board jacket and sold out within hours.
Upon its 2010 release, the 10-track “Warp Riders” was praised by the BBC for its “level of fantastical grandeur… on par with the bands who built the power metal subgenre,” while The Quietus called it “brilliant,” and Pitchfork dubbed it “Camaro-ready riff-rock.”
“Warp Riders” 15th-anniversary tour dates:
August 17 – Phoenix, AZ @ Crescent Ballroom
August 18 – Albuquerque, NM @ Sister Bar
August 19 – Denver, CO @ Gothic Theatre
August 20 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Metro Music Hall
August 22 – Spokane, WA @ Knitting Factory
August 23 – Seattle, WA @ Neumo’s
August 24 – Portland, OR @ Hawthorne Theater
August 25 – Boise, ID @ Knitting Factory
August 27 – San Francisco, CA @ Great American Music Hall
August 28 – Pioneertown, CA @ Pappy & Harriet’s
August 29 – San Diego, CA @ Belly Up Tavern
August 30 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Bellwether
Cronise told Revolver about the band’s reunion: “We know each other, we’re comfortable. It’s just kind of like putting on a comfortable pair of sneakers. Levitation was a great show… it went really well.”
THE SWORD guitarist/vocalist Kyle Shutt added: “I can’t tell you what it means to see everyone’s positive reception. It feels so good to see people out there almost more enthusiastic about the band than ever — it’s something we’ll never take for granted.”
THE SWORD is John D. Cronise (vocals, guitar),Bryan Richie (bass, keyboards),Kyle Shutt (guitar, vocals),and Santiago Vela (drums). Following their 2003 inception, THE SWORD quickly became one of the most revered names in heavy music.
With a blend of crushing riffs, intricate storytelling, and a sound that bridges classic metal and modern rock, THE SWORD has released six albums: “Age Of Winters” (2006),“Gods Of The Earth” (2008),“Warp Riders” (2010),“Apocryphon” (2012),“High Country” (2015) and “Used Future” (2018).
In 2020, THE SWORD launched the “Conquest Of Quarantine” lockdown sessions. The lockdown sessions marked THE SWORD‘s first live performances together since the band went on hiatus in 2018, as they remotely reunited to perform songs like “Winter’s Wolves”, “Working Man” and put their own inimitable spin on the T. REX classic “Children Of The Revolution”.
THE SWORD‘s compilations “Chronology: 2006-2018” and “Conquest Of Kingdoms”, both released in 2020, each showcased the technically dazzling, riff-heavy and far-reaching metal that the band has been known for since forming 17 years ago.
“Conquest Of Kingdoms”, an explosive three-disc vinyl collection of rarities and oddities, offered 30 tracks (16 previously unreleased) and was housed in a triple-gatefold package, including B-sides, oddities and live recordings of fan favorites like “Freya”, “Iron Swan” and “Fire Lances Of The Ancient Hyperzephyrians”, as well as cover versions of “Immigrant Song” (LED ZEPPELIN),“Nasty Dogs And Funky Kings” (ZZ TOP),“She” (KISS),“Forever My Queen” (PENTAGRAM) and more. A truncated digital version is also available.
“Chronology: 2006-2018” was a three-disc CD compendium, which — in addition to the aforementioned rarities — also included THE SWORD‘s greatest hits and fan favorites. Distilling the band’s complete discography, this collection comprised 52 tracks (12 previously unreleased),including the studio recordings of “Freya”, “Iron Swan”, “Cloak Of Feathers” and “Deadly Nightshade”. The set also featured expansive new liner notes with contributions from the band, plus Lars Ulrich (METALLICA),Mark Morton (LAMB OF GOD) and Neil Fallon (CLUTCH).
Photo credit: Dave Creaney
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