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3 INCHES OF BLOOD!

1/24 3 Inches of Blood

There's a reason fans have come to their shows wearing Viking helmets and brandishing both real and plastic swords. Born out of a love for pure metal, weaned on a diet of fantasy and mythology, 3 Inches of Blood have been slaying the infidel and defending the faith for nearly eight years.

In that time, they've released two albums and splattered the ground with crimson streaks while on tour with Satyricon, Black Dahlia Murder, Motorhead and Cradle of Filth. These are mighty accomplishments for dedicated warriors from Vancouver, British Columbia, a region that's not exactly the Camelot of heavy metal. And with their new album, Fire Up the Blades, 3 Inches of Blood have surpassed even their own manly exploits, crafting a baker's dozen of anthems and stormers that crash, rip and roar like a Medieval skirmish.

"With this album, the blacksmith is heating up the blades and we are preparing for battle," says vocalist Jamie Hooper. "We are forging the steel that we'll use to annihilate the heavy metal posers, and in every town we play, the streets will run red with their blood."

Throughout Fire Up the Blades, 3 Inches of Blood demonstrate that the best way to stay ahead of the heavy metal curve is to write music that comes from the heart and sounds nothing like the horde of bands tapping into the latest trends. To that end, they draw fuel from their favorite artists, including Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Mercyful Fate, Manowar and Enslaved and compile it all into their own lethal potion. Once more, 3 Inches of Blood demonstrate great skill for riding galloping steeds into fiery realms of crunching riffs and banging heads, but Fire Up the Blades is darker and more aggressive than 2004's critically acclaimed Advance and Vanquish. "Demon's Blade" starts with a crushing, technical thrash passage and peaks with twin guitar harmonies over throat-shredding vocals and "Infinite Legions" features hailstorm blast beats and orchestral swells between martial riffs.