Greetings From… (Universal) is the latest live offering from The Sword. Greetings From… tries to capture the swank and swagger from The Sword’s live show and condense it into album form. It’s a combined hit and a miss. Some parts translate beautifully, while others, not so much. Let’s examine Greeting From… shall we.

For the most part, it’s a darn good set list. Most of the songs are upbeat toe tapping, boot scootin’ tracks. The Sword offer us ‘Buzzards’, ‘Maiden Mother and Crone’, ‘Tears like Diamonds’, and ‘John the Revelator’. Then they drop ‘Agartha’ in and you spend one minute twenty-two seconds going, “What the front door?” It’s a bit of a confusing intrusion. So a total hit on eight tracks and a miss on one.

Then there is the mix. Yes, this is a live album. No, it’s not polished and pristine as most live albums. Yes, the guitars are featured prominently and the drumming augments nicely. No, the vocal mix is not on point. Swing and miss on the vocal mix. But you can tell it IS a live album because of it.

A massive swing and out of the ball park hit goes to ‘Mist and Shadow’. Everything about this song on Greetings From… is supurb. The pacing is slow and sleazy. The sound is mesmerizing. The vocals are backwoods eerie. The mix is spot on.

As much as I love The Sword’s studio albums and live show, Greetings From… just doesn’t do anything for me. That’s not to say there aren’t any high points, but, just not enough here to sustain an entire live album.

7.0/10

VICTORIA ANDERSON