Seven Days: Vermont's Independent Voice

"I'll Take Sword"

Austin, Texas, quartet The Sword play two types of music: heavy and metal. And they do it pretty darned well. How else to explain garnering the adoration of hard-rock icons Metallica, with whom they are touring this month? However, if you don’t have the pound of flesh to pay Ticketmaster, you can catch these up-and-coming headbangers Wednesday, January 21, as they take a break from impending rock stardom to headline a show at Higher Ground’s Showcase Lounge with Southern-rock revivalists Year Long Disaster and Burlington’s reigning champs of ironic metal, Cherry Cassette.