Unnamed Album Series: The Sword - Warp Riders
Man, I love a concept album.
Warp Riders was probably my album of the year in - I don’t know - 2018? It’s good!
The Sword’s particular mythical metal style from their prior albums is on full display here, though you can hear hints of their future turn to more bluesy Appalachian rock blowing in on the wind.
With the album art calling back to AD&D book covers (and maybe a touch of Roger Dean), there’s just enough world hinted at in this album to really fascinate me. Dragonfly mounts, a tidally locked planet, space pirates, orbs, a time loop. What’s not to love?
The story being told here doesn’t feel particularly cohesive, but I think it’s more to its benefit. It leaves the right kind of gaps that I enjoy thinking about how they might be filled in. I’ve always been a huge dweeb for Spelljammer stuff, so it’s a hit for me.
The whole album has a great arc through it from front to back. The airy, cavernous overture that opens the first track gets stuck in my head often. I don’t think there’s anything particularly standout here, the songs are just a lot of fun and the execution is clean, skillful, and well produced. The musical palette differentiates slightly between the two main perspective characters for most of the album, which keeps things cohesive without getting monotonous. The lyrics are energetic and clear. I could stand for the drums to be brought forward a little on a few songs, but that’s down to personal preference.
Give it a listen, it’s a good time!
