The Sword

The Sword is an American heavy metal band that formed in Austin, Texas in 2003. Since its inception the band has comprised vocalist and guitarist John D. Cronise, guitarist Kyle Shutt and bassist Bryan Richie, and currently includes touring drummer Kevin Fender following Trivett Wingo's departure in November 2010. Signed to New York-based independent label Kemado Records, the group released debut album Age of Winters in 2006, which was largely written by Cronise prior to the band's formation. The band's second album, Gods of the Earth, was released two years later and gave the group its first Billboard 200 chart entry. Warp Riders, a concept album centered on an original science fiction narrative, was released in August 2010.

While commonly labelled as a doom metal band, The Sword has also been identified as an example of the 'retro metal' movement of stoner rock artists influenced by early metal bands such as Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin and Blue Cheer. In addition to Sabbath, to whom the band is commonly compared, artists such as Sleep, Melvins and Slayer have been cited as influences by members of the band. The Sword are held in
generally high regard by music critics, and have toured on a number of occasions with high-profile bands such as Trivium, Lamb of God and Metallica.
After writing and recording music on his own for "a few years",[1] singer and guitarist J. D. Cronise formed The Sword in 2003 with guitarist Kyle Shutt and drummer Trivett Wingo;[2][3] bassist Bryan Richie joined later in 2004.[4] Cronise and Wingo had been in a band called Ultimate Dragons, based in Richmond, Virginia,[5] while Shutt and Richie had been performing in Texas bands "united by a love of [Led] Zeppelin."[6] Cronise had also performed with a local band called Those Peabodys, but left as he felt he "needed to do something heavier."[5] After their first live performance together on March 18, 2004,[7] the band released an eponymous demo, The Sword,[8] which was followed the next year by an extended play (EP) entitled Freya.[8] After performing at the 2005 South by Southwest festival, the band was signed by New York-based record label Kemado Records;[2] competing offers from Tee Pee, Arclight and Relapse were turned down.[6]

The Sword released its debut album Age of Winters in February 2006, much of the material for which had been written by Cronise before the band's formation.[1] In support of the album, the band toured in 2006 and 2007 with such artists as, in the United States, Early Man, Priestess, Lacuna Coil and Trivium; in Europe, Nebula and Clutch; and in Japan, Lamb of God.[9] In June 2007 they contributed a new song, "Under the Boughs" (which was later included on their second album), to the Kemado compilation Invaders,[10] and in November the song "Freya" was covered and featured as a playable track on the video game Guitar Hero II.[11] "Freya" was later released as a single in September 2007.

 Members

J. D. Cronise
Kyle Shutt
Bryan Richie
 
Past members

Trivett Wingo