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3 Inches Of Blood: Fire up the blades

27/06/07 || Euthanatos

Every now and again some band comes along, makes a huge hoopla, gets a great deal of hype and a good number of geeks join the bandwagon. 3 Inches of Blood is one of these bands. Fortunately for us, this is one of the rare occasions where the band is actually good and the hype is justified.

“Advance & Vanquish”, the previous album, kicked ass, and it’s something I still listen to on a bi-weekly basis. It was very different from what you’re used to getting, especially from American bands (Yes, I’m aware they’re Canadian. Insert your favourite 51st state, America’s backyard joke here). It has an old heavy metal feel to it, but with some modern influences, thrashier parts and Halford-like vocals mixed with Lamb of God-like screams (courtesy of two separate vocalists, mind you).

So what does “Fire Up the Blades” bring to the table? Fact of the matter is, it lives up to expectations, it’s quite a killer little album. After one of those dispensable intros, which every album seems to have these days, “Night Marauders” starts things with just the right amount of punch. And that’s just the think I love about 3 Inches of Blood, the ballsy approach to metal, not giving a fuck about sounding like whatever is popular right now, they just blend whatever stuff they dig and make it their own.

The next track, “Goat Riders Horde” (What a name!!!) is very thrashy, lots of cool riffs and double-bass action to keep you headbanging non-stop. Already in this stage of the album, you can notice an interesting development in the bands songwriting; the “thrash/screams” vocals are a lot more present, as to where in the two previous albums it was a lot more just backing vocals or discrete juxtapositions (how’s that for fancy writing, eh?)

“Trial of the Champions” sounds like something out of a Judas Priest/Exciter album, lots of “Alrights” and “Come ons!”, and you can’t go wrong with those. The opening riff is just “Stained Class”, “Defenders of the Faith” material, really. And there are even some 70’s keyboards here to boot, which was quite surprising.

“God of the Cold White Silence” is very different, which is also a plus, a slower, darker song, with some very nice guitar work. “Demons Blade” might be the best performance here, though, very heavy, very brutal and where both vocals complement each other perfectly. “Infinite Legions” is absolutely desperate and has even some deathy moments. Really. I’m totally surprised and pleased at how this band has shifted gears and decided not to hover in the “safe zone”, totally expanding their influences and their sound.

All in all, I’m not sure this album is better than their insanely popular previous one, but it’s a damn good album and will certainly please those who were already into them. If you don’t know 3 Inches of Blood yet, no better place to start.

The cover: It’s uh…Blades. Yeah. Makes sense, I suppose. Meh.

8 inches of cock out of 10.

Information
Released: 2007
Label: Roadrunner Records
Website: www.3inchesofblood.com
Band
Cam Pipes: clean vocals
Jamie Hooper: screams
Justin Hagberg: guitar
Shane Clark: guitar
Nick Cates: bass
Alexei Rodriguez: drums

Tracklist
01. Through the Horned Gate
02. Night Marauders
03. The Goatrider’s Horde
04. Trial of Champions
05. God of the Cold White Silence
06. Forest King
07. Demon’s Blade
08. The Great Hall of Feasting
09. Infinite Legions
10. Assassins of the Light
11. Black Spire
12. “he Hydra’s Teeth
13. Rejoice in the Fires of Man’s Demise

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