3 Inches of Blood

All right, you metal maniacs! Here's a hard-hitting album that'll give you a sore throat just from listening to it. 3 Inches of Blood takes all the melodic sensibilities of '80s metal monsters like Iron Maiden and Judas Priest and serves them with a heavy dose of modern thrash madness...

By Niki D'Andrea

June 21, 2007

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All right, you metal maniacs! Here's a hard-hitting album that'll give you a sore throat just from listening to it. 3 Inches of Blood takes all the melodic sensibilities of '80s metal monsters like Iron Maiden and Judas Priest and serves them with a heavy dose of modern thrash madness. Vocalists Cam Pipes and Jamie Hooper belt out fantastical lyrics about goat riders, Nordic gods, and dark forests in falsetto and high-pitched metalcore screams, respectively, while the band rages behind them in a barrage of double-bass drumbeats and twin guitar harmonies. And although 3 Inches of Blood harks back to some of metal's cheesier moments, the Vancouver-based band resents being called a "spoof" group — they're serious about what they do, and one listen to a song like "Trial of Champions," with its whiplash rhythms, throaty vocals, and creepy keyboards illustrates the sincerity of 3 Inches' approach; the song sounds like a sinister marriage of Motörhead and Maiden, with a Blue Öyster Cult affair on the side. Other highlights include "Demon's Blade," a sonic nod to old school Headbanger's Ball bands like Helloween, and "The Hydra's Teeth," a high-octane blast of meaty beats and speeding six-strings.

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Niki D'Andrea has covered subjects including drug culture, women's basketball, pirate radio stations, Scottsdale staycations, and fine wine. She has worked at both New Times and Phoenix Magazine, and is now a freelancer.

Contact: Niki D'Andrea