Album Review: 3 Inches of Blood — Here Waits Thy Doom

3 Inches of Blood

Here Waits Thy Doom
Century Media

Calling all brothers, warriors, witches, and especially snake fighters! 3 Inches of Blood, a wannabe new wave of British heavy metal band, are back and higher than ever — vocally, that is. 3 Inches of Blood is a Canadian power metal band from Vancouver, B.C., consisting of Cam Pipes, Justin Hagberg, Shane Clark, and Ash Pearson. On the first listen, it's evident that the band is heavily influenced by Judas Priest, King Diamond, Running Wild, Sabaton, and Hammerfall. Yet their new album, Here Waits Thy Doom, is just another recycled power metal album that is attempting to recreate the 1980s.

This is the first album from the band not to feature any original members — or any originality. The album’s aggressiveness is undermined by the fact that the vocalist sounds as though his testicles are being tightly compressed. Blame the Preacher's Daughters! Their choice of song titles such as “Call of the Hammer,” “Battles and Brotherhood,” and “Rock in Hell” indicate that heavy metal stereotypes will never be laid to rest because of their commercial value. The band even hints at using the album as an educational tool with the song “1234”; unfortunately, there was no mathematical chanting to be heard.

The band’s over-the-top lyrical style, screeching vocals, and misguided fashion attire has led many to consider them as a parody band. Recently, 3 Inches of Blood has experienced some melodramatic episodes with former band members. Their previous drummer Alexei Rodriguez was fired after being involved in a fight with Saxon drummer Nigel Glockler at the 2007 Hard Rock Hell festival. Additionally, during the 2007 Ozzfest tour, Jamie Hooper (former vocalist) was unable to sing with the band due to medical issues. Here Waits Thy Doom is a metal album that was inevitably doomed from the start.