Interview with 3 Inches Of Blood lead singer Cam Pipes

With the pending, September 8th release of their newest CD, Here Waits Thy Doom, extreme metal act 3 Inches Of Blood are gearing up to take their hard-hitting brand of metal to the masses. Vocalist Cam Pipes recently took some time out of preparing for their tour to answer a few questions about the new CD, the story behind the name and life on the road.

Many of your songs are so hard and intense that I am sure they translate well into a live setting taking on a completely new life in front of a live audience. How does it make you feel when the emotion and power that you envisioned in the recording studio, come to life while playing in front of a crowd?
Cam: Playing shows is what we live for. It’s a tremendous feeling when people react enthusiastically to our songs, especially when we’re playing new songs for the first time.

Different groups have unique ways of writing their songs. How do you guys go about writing your music? Is it a collective effort or is it more the efforts of one particular member of the band?
Cam: Basically the guitarists write the riffs then we all collaborate on the arrangements and put in ideas on how a song’s direction should go. I will write the lyrics once the song has started to come together.

Every band has its musical influences. What are some of the other bands and artists that have greatly influenced you guys and your music?
Cam: In the early days, we drew a lot of comparisons to Iron Maiden and various traditional metal and rock bands. Those influences remain, but I like to think that those comparisons are not as obvious these days.

The name of the band 3 Inches Of Blood is interesting to say the least and sounds as if there is a story behind it. Where did the name come from and what is the story?
Cam: It’s not really an interesting story. Over the years, we have told people different stories to make it sound more interesting. The origin of the name came from someone cutting themselves and they said the words “3 inches of blood” in a sentence, or something like that.

What can fans expect when they pick up a copy of Here Waits Thy Doom?
Cam: Once they are holding our latest album they can expect to feel a compulsion to walk over to the nearest cashier and purchase it. I expect a majority of people who listen to it will have a positive reaction.

What is the hardest part about being in a touring metal band and what is the biggest obstacle your band faces?
Cam: There isn’t a single biggest obstacle. Being away from our girlfriends is always hard. Eating well on the road is difficult too. There’s a lot of down time when you’re not on stage, so it’s a challenge to keep from getting really bored too.

Your lyrics are infused with heavy detail and raw emotion. What is it that normally gives you inspiration when writing lyrics and is there a theme or themes behind the writing of this record?
Cam: The way the song sounds while it’s being written usually inspires an idea or lyrical theme. I try not to repeat themes I have covered on other albums unless it is a different aspect of the same theme. Sometimes I’ll just think of stuff off the top of my head.

When you are on the road for a while, I am sure you see and experience many different things you might not even have known existed. Are there any stories that stand out in your mind as being exceptionally strange or odd?
Cam: More than anything it still strikes me as odd that we were able to take this band as far as we have. I never expected we would be on a record label and touring the world. It started out as music that was fun and exciting to play, so everything else is just a bonus.

When you are out on the road anything can happen and often does. Can you think of any disastrous events that happened while out on tour? How did you solve the problem?
Cam: We were in Massachusetts in January 2007 and the heater core in our van blew which meant we had no heat and we had to keep the windows down while driving because anti-freeze vapors were seeping into the van. It was late on a Friday, so all mechanics were closed until Monday. We drove all weekend, and then some, in subzero weather with no heat. On top of that, we had a coolant leak in the engine and anti-freeze would gush out onto the road when we topped up the fluid. Normally a vehicle would overheat without coolant in it, but because it was so damn cold already, we got lucky. Finally, we got a day off in Toronto and the van got fixed. It wasn’t the first or the last time we had that same problem with that van.

What is next for 3 Inches Of Blood?
Cam: Once the album is out, we start our heavy touring schedule. Our tour page will be full for a long time.  [ END ]