The Sword slays at RecordBar tonight

You’ve got to wonder whether Black Sabbath

feels flattered or annoyed that its music has become a standardized

vocabulary for an entire genre of imitators. At this point, comparing

the Sword with Sabbath is about as meaningful as saying the Austin, Texas,

quartet uses electric guitars. Still, among the band’s galloping, fuzzy

peers, the Sword’s strong songwriting foundation stands alone.