It’s been 15 years since Warp Riders came out, but judging by the crowd packed into Brooklyn Bowl on Saturday night, The Sword’s 2010 space-western opus hasn’t lost an ounce of its power. The Austin heavy rock veterans rolled into Nashville to celebrate the album in its glory, mixed in with other doom laced bangers from their catalog was a special treat giving Nashville one of those nights where the riffs hit like a time machine, loud as hell, gritty, and timeless.
Brooklyn Bowl was the perfect spot for The Sword to perform too, as the venue has a unique mix of bowling-alley charm and concert-hall energy that gives the whole show an underground feel, but with the kind of sound that makes your chest rattle. From the first notes as the doom metal quartet hit the stage, it was clear the band wasn’t here to phone it in. John D. Cronise’s vocals were sharp and raspy in a perfect cacophony of sound, while Kyle Shutt and Bryan Richie locked in those thick, doom-laden guitar harmonies that define The Sword’s sound. Behind them, drummer Jimmy Vela III kept everything driving forward, pounding through the band’s catalogs twists and turns like he had something to prove.
Hearing fan favorites from Warp Riders was an absolute delight. “The Sword tore through the room with that swaggering doom groove that had everyone shouting along. “Lawless Lands” brought out the head-banging, eyes-closed crowd sway that only happens when the riff hits just right. And “(The Night the Sky Cried) Tears of Fire” can only be described as downright cinematic, with the lights shifting between deep reds and blues like a sci-fi storm.
The band sprinkled songs from other records before and after the celebrated album, with fan favorites that kept the energy high and showed how much heavier and tighter they’ve gotten over the years. The packed venue fed off every moment. You could see people grinning, mouthing every lyric, and throwing up horns between songs. It felt more like a reunion than just another stop on a tour, and with this being the climax of the celebration made it even more special.
Sonically, it was loud and grimy, with the guitars delivering that fuzzy, vintage crunch, and the bass lines rolled through your stomach. By the end of the night, fans were drenched in sweat, grinning ear to ear, and shouting for more. The Sword closed it out with a tight, heavy encore that left the whole place buzzing. Fifteen years later, Warp Riders still feels alive, and in Nashville, The Sword proved just how much it still kicks.
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