Warp Riders

Abandoning axes and wolves for the equally eldritch environment of outer space, on their third album The Sword truly took off. Rather than depending on the more earthbound doom of their first two records, the Texan traditional metal act powered their starship with lots of rock ‘n’ roll groove. It’s by far their most satisfying journey. “Tres Brujas” takes Macbeth into the asteroid belt, “Arrows in the Dark” hits the target every time, and the instrumental “Astrea’s Dream” shows that explosions can make sound in space.