Right before their opening stint on the first leg of the Kyuss Lives! North American tour, there was a bit of confusion regarding The Sword’s drummer situation. The band was forced to cancel their appearance at the Heavy T.O. festival in Toronto last Summer due to their drummer being denied entry into Canada. However, it was unclear at the time whether Kevin Fender or a new drummer was denied entry at the border. While clues pointed to it being a new drummer, no confirmation came from the band. Well, one thing is for certain: The Sword now officially have a new man behind the kit.

The Sword confirmed earlier today that Santiago “Jimmy” Vela III has joined the stoner metal group as their new drummer. This comes less than a year after Fender replaced original drummer Trivett Wingo. The news also comes just in time as the band prepares to hit the road with Kyuss Lives! again for a second leg of touring. Let’s hope that the third time’s a charm for The Sword.