3 Inches Of Blood

Although nowhere near what it used to be, the genre of Power Metal has recently seen somewhat of a resurgence. With bands like Dragonforce, Hammerfall, and Canada’s own 3 Inches of Blood, this music previously only associated with the early 80s is once again pulsing with life! 3 Inches of Blood is not only a Power Metal band, but they also take a huge chunk of Thrash and toss it right into their amazing sound. Straight out of Vancouver, BC, this group has been going strong for 7 years, accomplishing more than some bands do in 20 years. This powerhouse consists of Cam Pipes (clean vocals), Jamie Hooper (screams), Shane Clark (guitar), Justin Hagberg (guitar), Nick Cates (bass), and Alexei Rodriguez (drums).

First up on the album is “Through The Horned Gate.” This track is just an intro, but you can still sense the “epic” feel about that makes them Power Metal. The intro opens up into “Night Marauders” which starts out with a blood curdling scream, accompanied by an insane guitar riff (which is completely in harmony between the two guitar players). Cam’s vocals are what make the band slam right dab in the centre of the Power Metal genre. With high pitched chords and wails in the vein of Bruce Dickinson, this man has some talent. What’s more though, when contrasted with Jamie’s screams of bloody murder, one realises that the vocals alone are enough to take this band far.

Seventh is “Demon’s Blade.” I absolutely loved the intro to this track. It kicks off with a heavy, palm-muted guitar riff, which in turn opens up into the verse… with screaming, insane drum skills, and bass amazing enough to blow a hole through any speaker. This track though, has got to be the best on the entire album. The amount of variety within the entire track is out of this world. Cam’s high pitched vocals about 3 minutes into the song made my hairs stand on end, so if any of you readers are into the Iron Maiden-esque vocals, pick up this album right away. And I don’t mean go download it, actually BUY this one!

“Rejoice In The Fires Of Man’s Demise” is last on this masterpiece. This track is only an outro for the album, but still kicks ass nonetheless. The entire outro is a sick solo-like guitar riff, accompanied by a cool sounding piano melody in the background. The song ends with what sounds like thunder, putting an end to their “thunderous” performance. The electricity is alive with this one!

Overall, I’d have to say this is by far the bands’ best album to date. I URGE you all to go buy this one. No… not urge. I’m TELLING you to go pick up this album. You won’t be disappointed and if you are… go fuck yourself! I’m giving this album an 8.8/10.  [ END ]

Track Listing:

01. Through the Horned Gate
02. Night Marauders
03. The Goatriders 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. The Hydra’s Teeth
13. Rejoice in the Fire of Man’s Demise

Run Time: 51:43