3 Inches of Blood

It is obvious that Vancouver, B.C. rockers 3 Inches of Blood respect their elders – their metal elders, that is. Pumping out a blitzkrieg of traditional metal on their fourth album, this band brings to mind some of the greatest metal acts of the 1980s while maintaining a sound all their own. Band members cite their influences as Judas Priest, Mercyful Fate, UFO and Rainbow, and seasoned metalheads might also hear echoes of other heavy-metal forebears like Grim Reaper, Metallica and Iron Maiden.

Lead vocalist Cam Pipes has an astounding set of…um, pipes…to sing metal. He never sounds forced, probably because he sings rather than only growling or screaming, but he can do that too quite well. His voice brings to mind that of Udo Dirkschneider of Accept, with a roughened, strong, upper-octave range. Pipes is also a great lyricist, having written the lyrics for seven tracks on the CD, and collaborated with guitarist/bassist Justin Hagberg on lyrics for the others. Hagberg and Shane Clark trade off on guitar and bass duties, and Ash Pearson plays a mean set of drums. His beat thunders forth in the opening of “Fierce Defender” in the spirit of that metal masterpiece “Run To The Hills.”

Something that must be made crystal clear is that 3 Inches of Blood is not a copycat band by any means. Comparisons to other metal bands is something 3 Inches of Blood has experienced all along, as the members pay homage to their heroes in the most flattering of ways. They simply enjoy singing to the greatness of heavy metal and its themes of fantasy and mythology, and their fans seem to love them for being real and not succumbing to the latest trends in metal music. Songwriters Hagberg and Clark have a knack for capturing the essence of the genre without devolving into parody or caricature.

Throughout “Here Waits Thy Doom,” guitar solos complement the music and work as part of the whole, the signal of a tight band.

The opening track, “Battles and Brotherhood,” is destined to be a live show favorite, its chorus sure to spread fist-pumping fury in the audience. “Call To The Hammer” is the speediest song on the CD, with wicked lyrics: “The god of the thunder leads the charge/ lightning strikes the feeble Nazarene.” Anyone who has seen the horror classic “Rosemary’s Baby” should recognize the song title “All Of Them Witches.” In it, Pipes sings of fanatical Christianity and the witch burning atrocities that remain a part of America’s haunted history. “Blinded by the twisted holy word/ …/ a stain that history cannot erase.” Clark and Hagberg play well-written solos together mid-song.

The music for “Preacher’s Daughter” seems like it was written in pole-dancing time because this song would well accompany a pole dancer, both in lyrics and rhythm. “She was wild as she could be/ some thought the devil made her.”

“12:34” is all instrumental, beginning with acoustic guitars gently playing then moving into plugged-in guitars playing in harmony. This track serves as an intro for the final cut on the album, “Execution Tank,” which leaves listeners with a sonic farewell.

3 Inches of Blood plays El Corazon in Seattle on Dec. 11.

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