This was easily the most intense concert I've ever been to. Although I've gone moshing before, the sheer ferocity (and velocity) of the moshpit in front of 3IOB was enough to tell me that I need to incorporate more cardio into my exercise routine, and I spent much of today fighting inexplicable abdominal pains. It was certainly a great way to relieve stress, though. In my opinion, the high points of the night were "Night Marauders", "Wykyrdtron", and of course, "Deadly Sinners." That said, there were a few questionable omissions; where was "Destroy the Orcs", for instance? The biggest disappointment had to be their failure to play my favourite 3 Inches of Blood song, the anthemic "Crazy Nights." But other than that, it was a perfectly worthwhile show which I was able to enjoy from the front row, clad of course in a freshly-purchased t-shirt adorned with the cover of the band's new album.
In keeping with metal's tradition of revolving door lineup changes, the latest 3IOB effort, Here Waits Thy Doom, has new drummer Ash Pearson filling in for Alexei Rodriguez, who was fired from the band after a punchup with the drummer from Saxon. But the most notable change is the absence of hardcore screamer Jamie Hooper, who, failing to recover from throat problems that had put him in danger of permanently damaging his voice, was forced to leave the band. In place we have guitarist Justin Hagberg taking over harsh vocal duties. Hagberg is not as strong as Hooper in the screaming department, but ultimately, the decreased scream factor does little to damage the band's status as a powerhouse of traditionally-styled heavy metal. In the end, the heart and soul of this band is lead singer Cam Pipes and his piercing, Halford-esque falsetto wail.
Full disclosure: I was first introduced to 3 Inches of Blood three years ago by a former roommate who, while a fellow metalhead, typically listened to bands like Lamb of God, Opeth, and Children of Bodom. At the time, I was still firmly entrenched in the old school; while I had progressed from my high school infatuation with 80s hair metal to embrace harder bands, I was still reluctant to move beyond the clean vocals of bands like Iron Maiden and Megadeth. When my roommate began playing the band's second album, Advance and Vanquish, it was Cam's screeching falsetto that immediately drew my attention. Truly, it was love at first listen.
The beauty of 3IOB for me was how they effortlessly straddled old and new metal sounds; while they retained the high-pitched operatic vocals and Dungeons & Dragons fantasy themes of yore, they also employed a highly aggressive, thrashy musical style and, more specifically, had in Jamie Hooper a screamer that could hold his own against any modern-day metalcore act. When the band lost Hooper, they largely lost that unique quality; although Hagberg gamely fills in on screaming duties, he is primarily a guitarist and can't hold a candle to Hooper in terms of sheer harshness.
Yet perhaps the most surprising thing about 3IOB's new album is how little the loss of Hooper affects the music. Right from the start of the air-punching opening track, "Battles and Brotherhood", this is unmistakably 3 Inches of Blood, with Cam Pipes dominating the proceedings and guitarists Hagberg and Shane Clark providing an impressive array of fleet-fingered riffery that harkens back to the twin leads of Priest, Maiden and Thin Lizzy. The next track, "Rock in Hell", is another top-notch headbanger that could have stopped with the title, but pushes on through a cavalcade of riffs that dare the listener to keep the volume below 11.
The rest of the album is a mix of typical 3IOB thrashers and a few interesting genre experiments, such as the bluesy stomp of "Preacher's Daughter", delicate acoustics of "12:34", and epic pretensions of "All of Them Witches." In summary, it sounds like a 3 Inches of Blood album, which is higher praise than it might come off as, given the absence of Jamie Hooper. With this album, Cam Pipes has established himself as the preeminent vocalist in metal today. 3 Inches of Blood, I salute your ability to withstand numerous lineup changes and keep churning out top-quality traditional metal. Now advance, and vanquish the competition!
I always like to check out new styles of music, so I just peeped your fav song. My laptop cant pikc up the full spectrum of the instruments, but I was content with what I heard. word
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