I got to the Launchpad while Yearlong Disaster was in mid-set. By the time I had scored drinks for me & the wife and said hello to a few locals at the bar, their set was over. Sounded pretty strong from the bar, though - straight up, blues-based hard rock material with a high tenor vocal (Ray Davies' son's voice sounds a lot like brother Dave's, actually - clearer/higher). We were just heading to the front as the last song finished. They were giving away 2-song CDRs at the merch table, which I listened to over the weekend - good stuff!
Next up were Priestbird, a 3-piece that included the obligatory drum kit and guitar (doublenecked 6-string/bass, actually), but the 3rd guy was a true utility man, switching from electric bass to cello to keyboards with ease. I was impressed by the material - all that's good about the '70s without the downside. They put out a bit of a hippy vibe, but this is no vacillating jamband - the tunes are concise and focused, mixing sweet pop melodies with heavy riffs, psyche-infused colorings with middle-eastern drone, and possessing a great deal of forward motion. The resulting musical brew brings to mind a fusion of King Crimson, Beck circa "Mutations," and maybe A Teardrop Explodes or some other psyche-pop revisionist band. Their set was fluid and confident - a fully enjoyable experience.
Then came the Sword. I know these guys get a lot of hate amongst the Doom Metal crowd, but I don't really see the reason for it. Then again, I don't think the Sword is gonna turn the riff-rock world on its ear, either. Their brand of Doom metal doesn't exactly reinvent the wheel - Sabbathian/SLEEPish riffing and plenty of swords & sorcery lyrics are fixture of the genre, and the Sword doesn't stray far from this template. Still, the Sword were all competent players, and their live performance was tight and on point. Nice, hefty heavy guitar tones and good throb from the bass (though I'm not big on using a pick for this style), eerie drugrock vocals, and propulsive drumming combined to produce a good live sound. Not much patter between songs - they just shut up & played their tunes.
The Sword is not the second coming of Black Sabbath by any means, but I doubt they're trying to be. What they are is a workmanlike band who, in truth, neither deserve accolades of greatness nor strident abuse, just the same respect all touring bands should get for plying their trade on the road. I'd see 'em again on the right bill. They definitely brought a far more diverse crowd than most heavy bands do in this town - not just the same 20 fat older dudes with chainwallets and baggy jeans (although we were there, too
), but a lot of college age folks - male AND female. The Launchpad was packed for a heavy band, and that CAN'T be a bad thing, IMHO. For that alone, I think they deserve some credit.
<- Stun Guitar ->
