Windhand | The Sword

Windhand is a doom/ stoner metal band from Richmond, VA.

I first saw them in 2019 with Russian Circles. Dad, David, and I went—John didn’t go :(

Here is the link to their music:

https://windhand.bandcamp.com/

Eternal Return (2018) favorite tracks- #2,4,6,7. I know Sleep’s artist did their album artwork also. Just another piece of useless information for you.

Soma (2013) favorite tracks -#5,1,2

Griefs Eternal Flower (2015) -#1,2,6,8

This was the first time I heard Windhand. I had dabbled in Kylesa, Sleep, OM, pallbearer etc in 2017-2018, but it wasn’t until this show, I really got the doom fever and found a lot of bands we like now (pallbearer, uncle acid and the deadbeats, elder, the sword, bongzilla, etc).

And… funny enough, their Dorthia was parked right next to us at the scary McDonalds by the broadberry and had the same car I do with a Windhand bumper sticker.

Ticket stub from the show

Setlist

1. Old evil

2. Forest clouds

3. Orchard

4. Cassock

5. Winter sun

Tabs for their songs I was trying to learn in 2019ish

They did some splits with Cough (who I also like- and another band from RVA).

This is an unpopular opinion—I’m not really a fan of their folk songs, through no fault of their own. I tend to skip past them (folk just doesn’t click with me). Perhaps in my old age or time transport, I can appreciate them more or something. But, for now, I am what am I am.

My “Grief’s infernal flower” CD (given to me by Dad in 2019?)

My “Pilgrims Rest” tshirt (from Dad)

The Sword

The Sword is a doom metal band started in 2003. JD is actually from Roanoke, Virginia, which is pretty cool.

https://thesword.bandcamp.com/music

Age of Winters (2006) favorite tracks# 3,2,6,7,4,5 in that order

Apocryphon (2012) favs# 2 (which is proving to be a little challenging to play), 1, 3, 7

Warp Riders (2010) #1,9,2,4

Gods of the Earth (2008)- fav obviously #3

David said John got him into The Sword a long time ago. The story was he told John he didn’t like them but secretly did. I can remember David working on their songs as far back as 2016.

We’ve been working on several of their songs. I appreciate the fact that they’re actually really fun songs to play (challenging, but not breaking-your-instrument like a golf club-hard). Those 5–7’s they love, like EHG. Freya was the first song I ever learned on the bass. Dad asked if we get tired of playing them and our was a solid “NO.”

One of the bummers for Covid in 2020 was that we had tickets with dad to go see Primus in Richmond, with The Sword as the opener. It kept getting rescheduled and canceled though, so we ended up not seeing them.

Shirts I got David for his birthday- I think 2018. They’ve held up really well over the years actually. I think he wears these the most of all our band tees.

There was a girl in my organic chemistry class in college who had the exact same blue one (below). I commented that I liked her shirt and asked what album she liked the most. It was super awkward because she said, “oh this isn’t mine it’s my boyfriends. I’m just wearing it.” And I just kinda backed out of the room away slowly. So, I don’t usually comment on people’s band tshirts now.

Bumper sticker

David’s CDs and bumper sticker

Pallbearer

https://pallbearer.bandcamp.com/music

In case you ever ask yourself whatever good came from Arkansas, now you know…

John introduced David and I to them in 2018 when he brought his copy of “Foundations of Burden” record home from NY.

I remember telling him “one of the most under-appreciated things in life is when bands actually make the vinyl sleeves bigger than the record itself so you don’t have to spend 10 minutes finagling it back in.”

Foundations of burden (2014)

The whole album is unbeatable, but the ones I put on repeat are: #1, 2, 4, 5. Although it is very hard to listen to Ashes anymore.

Sorrow and Extinction- favorite tracks #2, 3 Legend is my top 3 songs by them, plus their album art is so good

https://pallbearer.bandcamp.com/album/sorrow-and-extinction-2

Heartless favorites -2,1,4,3 in that order.

https://pallbearer.bandcamp.com/album/heartless

EP favorites - fear and fury & dropout

I saw they have one of the more unusual pieces of band merch…

Maybe it’s not funny to you, but it cracked a smile or 20 from me. Idk if it’s because of the irony- “pallbearer” on a rolling paper for smoking, or what.

I told David “I mean, maybe it could be a stocking stuffer for the tobacco we grew?” I’ll update if we get them. I kinda feel like throwing 6 bucks at it. We’ll see.

Merch area is quite lacking, so need to add to this— I mean save for retirement.

John’s pink vinyl copy of “Foundations of Burden” he got in 2018