when judging jam submissions, i'm usually wary about tracks that seem like they're just 'what the person would've made no matter what the theme was'. but this track didn't strike me that way, because i kinda love how it approaches the theme almost sideways, reframing a legendary weapon - something usually depicted as heroic or triumphant - as this sad burden, inextricable with self-harm, that brings pain to the wielder in exchange for something abstract and intangible as a beautiful thought. something about that really resonates, i feel.
others have already pointed out the vocals being tough to pick out in the mix, but i respect you putting them in when you could've just let the more confident guitar line carry the melody instead. were the mixing cleaned up, i'd love to hear a track like this as part of a concept album!