Review Summary: The sort of masterpiece that feels like it shouldn't work as well as it does
In my opinion, Age of Winters is the most influential stoner-doom album to come out in the 21st century, more so than Dopethrone, Dopesmoker, or any other dope you could name. Much of that status could be attributed to the unprecedented levels of exposure that The Sword received compared to their peers; putting “Freya” in a Guitar Hero game invited accusations of being a doom equivalent to Dragonforce and mutterings of ‘hipster metal’ popped up quite a bit in certain circles. That sort of rhetoric may have kept me from checking it out back in 2006 but once I listened to it as a musician in the genre, suddenly all my friends’ bands made WAY more sense…
One thing that immediately stands out when listening to The Sword is the sheer power behind their musicianship. The guitars and drums are the strongest assets on display, the former showing off the slightest hints of fuzz with a jagged edge that lends itself well to biting grooves and choppy gallops while the latter opts for cymbal-heavy poundings and hard-hitting patterns more aligned with thrash or classic metal. It’s surprisingly up-tempo for stoner-doom, nowhere near the brooding of their eighties forebears and lacking the swinging swagger of a Kyuss or Sleep yet has the chunkiness that could only come from such a lineage. Comparisons could be made to what High on Fire was doing around the time, especially the drumming, but this is a considerably more accessible presentation.
However, such power is never echoed in the vocals which remain the band’s most divisive element. Consisting of a twerpy mid-range yelp completely devoid of charisma, the way that the lines are constructed often yields to the guitar work whether it be capping off a particular riff or attempting some back-and-forth when not being drowned out entirely. I’ve found myself wondering if a Dio-style belter would’ve elevated the material, but this sort of nerdy delivery comes out endearing in its own way. It’s ultimately not the sort of thing that’s a dealbreaker for me as a listener, even if it sometimes feels like the approach might’ve played a role in some subsequent stoner bands treating their singers like afterthoughts.
From there, the songwriting also serves up some interesting conundrums and seeming contradictions. The album has the feel of an especially fiery jam session with a relentless onslaught of riffs set to loose structures and surprisingly breezy pacing. It often feels like the songs are working more toward the greater whole, making it easy for individual pieces to get lost in the shuffle beyond the abrupt change in pace offered by tracks like “Winter’s Wolves” and “March of the Lor.” It’s the sort of approach that would fall flat on its face if the playing wasn’t this tight and the riffs weren’t so damned catchy. There’s a great deal of commitment behind the atmosphere and it always feels like you’re charging into a fantasy battle surrounded by two feet of snow.
Overall, Age of Winters is the sort of masterpiece that feels like it shouldn’t work as well as it does. The Sword certainly set themselves up for some bad habits between the unbalanced band dynamic and loose songwriting approach, yet their ear for infectious riffs and energetic playing on top of a potent fantasy aesthetic showed that there was more to them than dumb luck or alleged industry connections. It has a relatable quality that makes its influence easy to see yet comes with a prowess that only a handful of imitators could ever hope to match. There’s a lot to love and hate about it but at the end of the day, it’s a fun listen that’s still worth checking out or re-examining if you haven’t heard it in a while.
