For three hours, the Gothic Theatre was beamed back to the heavy 70s, prompting visions of what it might have been like to see oh, I don’t know Mountain open for Deep Purple in 1972.
On the road in support of new records, The Sword and All Them Witches rolled into the Gothic Theatre Monday and laid down one of the best nights of retro rock and roll I’ve seen in, well, forever.
ALL THEM WITCHES
I stumbled upon Nashville based All Them Witches a few months ago, in the thick of a “best psychedelic blues bands” search. I was instantly taken by their dark and smoldering brand of southern rock. Their 2013 long player Lightning at the Door was in heavy rotation for weeks. With an excellent new studio release, Dying Surfer Meets His Maker (New West Records), I was even more anxious to see this band live. And their nearly hour long song set didn’t disappoint, with slowly building jams, awash in swirling guitar fuzz, topped with Allan Vancleave’s Fender Rhodes. The only thing I was left wishing for was more music, as it felt like these guys were just hitting their stride. So, here’s to a Bluebird Theatre headlining slot in the near future. Just sayin’.
THE SWORD
I’ve been loosely following The Sword since Age of Winters, but I had yet to see them live. I had an idea of what to expect, but didn’t realize just how good this band is in concert. After a full intro of Christopher Cross’ “Ride Like the Wind”, followed by the High Country opener “Unicorn Farm” over the PA, The Sword set the tone of this set right from the start, treating long time fans with the hard-hitting “Tres Brujes” and Apocryphon favorite “Arcane Montane” before diving into “High Country” and “The Dreamthieves” from their latest studio effort, High Country (Razor & Tie). By now, these guys have a fairly deep well of songs to pick from, and they definitely know how to write a solid setlist. The best bits and pieces of new and old play very well together on stage. The pummeling riffs of “Seven Sisters” and “Maiden, Mother, and Crone” beside the boogie of “Lawless Lands.” There was no mid-set slump as High Country standout “Buzzards” stands up to some of the heaviest songs this band has created. It’s also worth noting that these guys are connoisseurs of fine, hand crafted musical instruments (Moniker guitars, Orange amps, Q Drum Co.) and the beautiful tones that come along with them. The sound at this show was excellent. With the last notes of “Empty Temples” still ringing in my ears, I thought The Sword couldn’t possibly bring more, but they closed out this show with a one-two-three knockout punch of “The Horned Goddess”, “Freya”, and “The Bees of Spring.”
While The Sword remains firmly rooted in the depths of sludgy metal, their constantly shifting sound continues to impress. This new record, High Country, didn’t immediately pull me in (or shred my eardrums to pieces like their past efforts), but this show, this live version of The Sword, wow! With a mild case of rock-and-roll neck Tuesday morning, I’d call this show a success!
Photo Gallery
Playlist
SETLIST
Tres Brujas, Arcane Montane, High Country, The Dreamthieves, Seven Sisters, Maiden, Mother & Crone, Buzzards, Tears Like Diamonds, Mist & Shadow, Cloak of Feathers, Lawless Lands, Hexenringe, Empty Temples, The Horned Goddess, Freya, The Bees of Spring
NOTE: “Hexenrige” appears as the b-side to a limited 7″ vinyl release of “High Country” and is not available on Spotify.
Upcoming tour dates for The Sword and All Them Witches.
Buy All Them Witches Dying Surfer Meets His Maker
All photo by Mitch Kline