THE SWORD Schallplatten & CDs

Review: Announcing their amicable break up in October of this year, it only seems fitting to commemorate the Texas stoner-doom rock heroes after almost two decades of service with a ten-year anniversary reissue of their excellent fourth full-length, Apocryphon. Their first album following the departure of founding drummer, Trivett Wingo, and the arrival of his replacement, Santiago "Jimmy" Vela III; the project marked a departure from the preciseness of its predecessor, 2010's fan-favourite, 'Warp Riders', in favour of a looser, more mid-tempo approach, whilst maintaining their signature groove and heft. What resulted was an endlessly cavernous collection of stompers falling somewhere between Sleep and Black Sabbath, but with a sliver of Thin Lizzy melody.