By now, members of the Sword are used to the comparisons to Black Sabbath and other heavy-metal godfathers.
But in their estimation, the alleged parallels are more an indictment of technology-reliant poser bands than accurate reflection of the Austin, Texas, band’s dark, organic sound.
“I guess I can see why people would think that, but it’s not anything intentional we’re going for,” said Sword guitarist Kyle Shutt. “The only thing we really have in common with the old retro bands is we play guitars and amps and don’t use laptops onstage. We try to keep it as real as possible.”
There’s no arguing that the band’s colossal crunch is firmly rooted in the 1970s acid rock glory of bands like Blue Oyster Cult, Blue Cheer, Mountain and Deep Purple. But it also has plenty in common with current doom purveyors like Mastodon and Om. Fans can get an up-close dose of the band’s throwback stoner metal Sunday at the Middle East.
The Sword’s latest, “Gods of the Earth,” with its sludgy chug and mystical lyricism, would have been a tailor-made soundtrack for the detached, burned-out suburban kids in the 1979 Matt Dillon flick “Over the Edge.” Fans of the classic Black Sabbath/Blue Oyster Cult concert film “Black & Blue” will be equally smitten.
The band’s raw, freight train style, cohesive songwriting and melodic riffage is a breath of fresh air in a genre where screaming, digital chaos and violent speed sometimes masquerade as talent.
“It’s just heavy metal,” Shutt said from his Austin home. “I couldn’t think of any other way to put it. It’s a lot more simple than people make it out to be.”
Whether simplicity or evil genius, the band’s stock is soaring and it has landed a coveted slot on the now-one-day Ozzfest in Dallas this summer. The band will also spend a few weeks opening for arena metal gods Metallica in Europe this summer.
The upcoming mega-shows mark the culmination of a long, steady climb that began in Austin in 2003 when Shutt and vocalist/guitarist J.D. Cronise set aside other projects to focus on the Sword.
“We discovered we just both loved old heavy metal,” Shutt said. “Nobody else was doing that at that time and people were just ready for it, man. Everybody in Austin is in like three different bands. We decided to all quit our other bands and focus on this one and work really hard and just make it devastating.”
Shutt scoffs at suggestions the Sword is part of some type of metal revival.
“I don’t think it ever went away,” he said. “At least one good metal album has been released every year since metal was created. People like loud guitars and killer solos.”
And swords, too.
The Sword, with Torche and Stinking Lizaveta, at the Middle East, Cambridge, Sunday. Tickets: $12; 617-931-2000.
