Biography

Sword is a Canadian heavy metal group with a sound that combines melodic hard rock with classic New Wave of British Heavy Metal grit. Emerging in the mid-'80s, the band found regional success with the LPs Metalized and Sweet Dreams before calling it quits in 1991; Sword returned as a live act in the 2010s and released their long-gestating third studio album, III, in 2022. Sword was founded in 1981 in the Montreal suburb of Saint-Bruno-de-Montarville by brothers Rick Hughes (vocals) and Dan Hughes (drums), guitarist Mike Plant, and bassist Mike Larock. Signing with local indie Aquarius Records, the band cut its well-received debut, Metalized, in 1986. Sword's muscular, proto-power metal paired tasteful riffs and solos with infectious shout-along choruses and helped land the group opening slots for Alice Cooper, Metallica, and Motörhead. 1988's like-minded Sweet Dreams found favor with regional metal audiences but failed to connect south of the border, and the band ceased operations in 1991. Aquarius released the career-spanning compilation The Best of Sword in 2006. The band re-formed in 2011 and spent the remainder of the decade performing at various festivals at home and abroad, eventually returning to the studio in 2019. After inking a deal with Massacre, Sword issued a string of hard-hitting singles, including "Dirty Pig" and "(I Am) In Kommand"), ahead of the arrival of their third long-player. Released in 2022, the aptly named III saw the band deliver a bold and bracing set that underpinned their status as pioneers of Canadian metal. ~ James Christopher Monger, Rovi