Hating on the haters is one of those hobbies musicians will never get sick of. The Cure, Jay-Z, Nicki Minaj, Nick Cave, Taylor Swift, of Montreal and Sonic Youth are among the many folks who have penned songs aimed at detractors.
With “Execrator” off its latest album, Apocryphon, Heavy Metal four-piece The Sword climbs into this increasingly packed clubhouse.
“We feel like there's a certain element of the Metal community that really have it in for us in a lot of ways and really don't care for us and are vocal about it, especially on the internet where there's no repercussions for anything,” frontman J.D. Cronise told Spin.com recently, though he also acknowledged the group’s strong fan base and good standing with critics. (If you're curious, “execrator” is just a fancy word for “hater.”)
Chances are Cronise was referencing derogatory tags like “Hipster Metal” and “Girlfriend Metal” and accusations that The Sword is too lightweight, too melodic, too non-Metalhead-friendly for its own good. But even while The Sword grows more approachable and bigger-sounding, the band remains fascinating. Apocryphon continues the spirited Black Sabbath worship while using sci-fi novels by Jack Vance and Philip K. Dick as inspiration. Ideally, things will only grow more ostentatious with time.
THE SWORD performs Saturday, Nov. 10 with Eagle Claw and Gypsyhawk at Madison Theater in Covington. Buy tickets, check out performance times and get venue details here.
