Overview
Corrosion of Conformity
Let’s face it: Much has gone down in the COC universe since their last album smacked us upside the head. Back in 2018, when No Cross No Crown dropped like a rock n’ roll atom bomb, the tried-and-true COC lineup of Pepper Keenan (vocals/guitar), Woody Weatherman (guitar), Reed Mullin (drums), and Mike Dean (bass) was still going strong. Four brothers united in a decades-long history kicked off by a roving pack of teenage punks in Raleigh, NC, circa 1982.
COC’s first four albums left a permanent mark on headbangers, longhairs, and street punks everywhere: Underground classics Eye for an Eye (1984) and Animosity (1985) followed by slightly more overground bangers Blind (1991) and Deliverance (1994). By the time COC carved off No Cross No Crown nearly a quarter century later, they were legends in their own time, revered by two generations of punk, metal, and rock fans.
The Sword
The Sword have handcrafted their own immersive mythology underscored by undeniable and unpredictable guitar fireworks, cinematic themes, and otherworldly concepts. Since emerging out of Austin, TX in 2003, the quartet—JD Cronise [vocals, guitar], Bryan Richie [bass, keys], Kyle Shutt [guitar, vocals], and Santiago Vela [drums]—have incited the obsession of a diehard fanbase and the applause of tastemakers such as Rolling Stone, The Washington Post, Decibel, and more. The band’s catalog encompasses six full-length albums, namely Age of Winters [2006], Gods of the Earth [2008], Warp Riders [2010], Apocryphon [2012], High Country[2015], and Used Future [2018]. The group shared the stage with everyone from Metallica to Lamb of God and Clutch in addition to selling out headline tours on multiple continents. After a two-year hiatus, the band officially reunited and returned in tandem with the celebration of the 15th anniversary of Warp Riders. Hailed as a “classic” by Consequence, it originally garnered praise from the likes of Premier Guitar, SPIN, and more. Standing out as one of the 21st century’s most important heavy bands, The Sword architect the next chapter of their mythology with more touring and a new record on the horizon.
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