Stoner rock is a genre that has wedged itself into my heart and made itself comfortable. I grew up listening to 60’s and 70’s rock and quickly decided that stoner rock is a classic “jam band” with distortion, which is why it was a natural musical move. The Sword is one of the top runners and is a personal favorite. When I started looking around, show after show, I quickly realized I was far from the only one that noticed the insane talent and mesmerizing showmanship these four guys possessed. Year after year, the concerts became more packed with excited fans. They have taken some twists and turns along the way, and some have not accepted these evolutions very gracefully, but for me, I have enjoyed every compositional aspect they bring to my ears. Shout out to Sandy Carson for the photo cred on the main picture of this article!
Austin, Texas is known for its music scene, which is where The Sword hails from. Members: John D Cronise (vocals, rhythm guitar), Kyle Shutt (lead guitar), Bryan Richie (bass, keyboards), and Jimmy Vela III (drums), went on hiatus for a couple of years around 2018, but made a comeback right when the pandemic hit. Thankfully, with the world attempting to go back to “normal”, they have been able to follow through with a full comeback as they toured with Primus and recently Clutch, as well as a solo tour in between. They have ideas for a new album and have no plans to go back into hibernation at this time, thank goodness.
Kyle has sat down with Metal Nation a few times before and was kind enough to do so again to talk about the last tour, The Sword coming back, his plethora of other projects, including his podcast, and just a getting to know Shutt as a human outside of the music. (If you are viewing from a phone, scroll down to the end of the page and click “View Desktop Version” to get video and interview access.)