“We [started a Facebook page [in 2011] and there were a lot of demands from the people to [release] new material.” - Mike Plant

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Photo Credit: Francis Forcier

34 years have passed since the release of new music from the Canadian Heavy Metal act SWORD. Their debut album Metalized (1986) and follow-up Sweet Dreams (1988) are considered cult classics. They’ve toured with ALICE COOPER, MOTÖRHEAD and METALLICA around those very same releases.

On November 25, 2022 SWORD released their third studio album III (3) through Massacre Records. I had the chance to catch up with guitarist Mike Plant and vocalist Rick Hughes to discuss the past, present, and future of SWORD, prior to the album’s release.

Highlights include:

-How SWORD formed
-Deciding on the band name
-Signing 1st record deal
-Recording & response to debut Metalized (1986)
-Opening for METALLICA
-Recording & response to follow-up Sweet Dreams (1988)
-What lead to the band’s hiatus for 20+ years
-Music involvement while SWORD was idle
-Reuniting in 2011
-Discussion of latest album III
-Revisiting old demos
-Previewing new tracks live & future shows
-Reaching more people today than in the ‘80s
-Vinyl resurgence & back catalog releases
-SWORD beer
-Do they get confused with THE SWORD out of TX?
-And much, much more

www.swordmetalized.com

The Rock Is George Podcast: Music, Whiskey, Pop Culture, and Nostalgia.
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