The Sword teased a comeback during its November set at Austin’s Levitation festival. Credit: Stephanie Koithan
Austin-based stoner metal band The Sword has permanently reunited and will play at Paper Tiger on Friday, April 11.

The San Antonio show is one of only two dates so far announced for the group’s appropriately titled The Return tour. The only other stop is Dallas the night before.

The Sabbath-worship outfit will share a stacked lineup with Rickshaw Billie’s Burger Patrol and Pink Fuzz. Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. Friday, Feb. 7. Venue officials confirm that tickets are $25 presale and $30 day of show.

Members of the The Sword, which disbanded in 2022, said Tuesday a reader poll in music magazine Revolver inspired them to make their triumphant return. Readers voted the quartet as one of Five Bands Who Should Reunite in 2024.

In an Instagram video, vocalist and guitarist John D. Cronise said he’d been in self-imposed isolation in the wilderness when he saw the demand for The Sword’s reunion.

“You know, that’s not such a bad idea,” Cronise said with a laugh in the clip.

The Sword teased a potential comeback with a one-off performance during November’s Levitation Festival in Austin. At the time, the band made its triumphant return to the stage to the tune of Thin Lizzy’s “The Boys are Back in Town.”

Cronise spoke during that set about how good it felt to be back together again — which felt like a “to be continued” cliffhanger for some in attendance.

Members of The Sword told Revolver that more live dates are in the works.

“We got lots of more stuff coming up in the summertime,” Cronise said.

$25-30, 8 p.m. Friday, April 11, Paper Tiger, 2410 N. St. Mary’s St., papertigersatx.com.
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This article appears in Feb 5-18, 2025.

Stephanie Koithan is the Digital Content Editor of the San Antonio Current. In her role, she writes about politics, music, art, culture and food. Send her a tip at skoithan@sacurrent.com.