THE SWORD’S John D. Cronise presents a classic rock Slaylist.
Colossal rock giants and fuzzy riff-lords (with a splash of Texas hot-sauce) make the perfect recipe for The Sword frontman
“ONE OF MY earliest memories of hearing a rock song was JOAN JETT AND THE BLACKHEARTS doing I Love Rock ‘N Roll. I’d hear it on the radio as a kid and it always made an impact: simple, straightforward and catchy but also powerful. Peak MTV era I saw the video to GUNS N’ ROSES’ Welcome To The Jungle: a mind-altering experience for an 11 year old! I really identified with the kind of character Axl plays in the video – a naïve country bumpkin getting off a bus in LA and being like, ‘What’s this?!’, which was basically me getting into this music that was exciting and dangerous. I went straight to the mall to get the cassette… but had to get my mom to buy it because it had explicit content and I wasn’t old enough! Ha ha ha!
In terms of what made me pick up a guitar, it was LED ZEPPELIN. Not any of the studio albums, mind – my parents had The Song Remains The Same. I knew they were an important band from the past, but for a young, suburban D&D fan songs like No Quarter just blew my mind. Again, watching MTV – back in the days they actually turned kids on to music – I saw the video to MONSTER MAGNET’S Twin Earth. They were different to everything else; these 70s-looking dudes with bellbottoms who were completely crazy. It started a lifelong love affair with them, they’re one of the most criminally underrated bands. A few years ago we were doing this touring festival called Soundwave in Australia and not long after our first date I hear a knock at the dressing room door and it was Dave Wyndorf. He was like, ‘Hey, are you guys The Sword? My name’s Dave and I wanted to meet you guys!,’which was just crazy. Super-cool guy and his lyrics are amazing.
When it comes to lyricists, I consider Phil Lynott to be the master. Getting into THIN LIZZY it was his lyrics and approach
METALHAMMER.COM to writing rock songs like The Boys Are Back In Town that really grabbed me. Before The Sword formed I was on tour with The Sword’s original drummer, Trivett Wingo, and we were ending a really rough tour. We were rolling back home one morning after driving all night, neither of us talking, so I put the radio on and like magic there it was – ‘BOWWWW, Ba-dabba-dumdu-da-dah’ and we burst into hysterical laughter.
Another MTV Headbangers Ball video I remember was CATHEDRAL doing Ride. That song, that groove is just quintessential stoner/doom; Children Of The Grave, but tuned down and turned up, right? That song was a huge influence on The Sword, alongside FU MANCHU. The first song I heard by them was actually Trapeze Freak, but the first album I got was In Search Of.
ZZ TOP were a big influence in me moving to Texas in the first place, which also means they’re pretty big in the forming of The Sword in Austin. Had it not been for them, Texas might not have seemed so alluring! I don’t know why songs like Pan Am Highway Blues don’t get their dues on rock radio or whatever because they’re so great. Speaking of great – FLOOR are the predecessor of Torche: same singer and guitarist/songwriter, but different other members and their self-titled record was a huge influence on the formation and early sound of The Sword. My roommates and I would sit around playing this over and over taking bong hits. Kallisti – Song For Eris was the first song on Side Two and we’d end up playing Side Two first (or just over and over) because we loved it so much. This record is a masterpiece, a true gem and I urge everybody to check it out immediately.
Roll With The Changes by REO SPEEDWAGON is my personal anthem. I love the song and it’s so driving with a monotone bassline while all this other stuff goes on in the background. It’s the same kind of reason I love Rush – the lyrics can be cheesy and obvious, but it’s so right on and you’ve just gotta roll with the changes. It’s the ultimate rock anthem!”
“IN TERMS OF WHAT MADE ME PICK UP A GUITAR, IT WAS LED ZEPPELIN”
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