Without doubt, Texas titans The Sword are one of the grooviest exponents of stoner rock currently plying their trade, though what their oeuvre has lacked so far is a live album, a document to showcase the band in the white-hot heat of sonic battle. So last autumn, while touring with Opeth, they recorded every gig and plucked nine soul-quaking nuggets to represent what they do best. And while it’s not a classic, it does the job in a pleasingly loose and lairy fashion.
The main thing to note is just how warts and all it sounds, as the vocals struggle to make it through the shitstorm of bluesy doom and wanton heavy psych. Ultimately, however, the imperfections matter not a jot as the likes of Tears Like Diamonds, Tres Brujas and immense closer The Horned Goddess drive home the sheer brain-shaking elemental power of The Riff in all its glory.
