3 Inches of Blood - Here Waits Thy Doom

by Cosmo Lee

It’s hard to believe that 3 Inches of Blood ever got tagged as “metalcore.” Minus vocals, they’ve always played traditional metal. The “metalcore” tag came from the fact that one of their two vocalists screamed. Also, perhaps people confused their Iron Maiden-inspired guitar harmonies with those of metalcore, which ripped off Swedish melodic death metal — which ripped off Iron Maiden.

Call of the Hammer

Now the screaming guy is gone, and there’s absolutely no doubt: 3 Inches of Blood are heavy metal, the kind that aficionados capitalize, with zero crossover appeal. The New York Times once described the art-metal set (Pelican, Sunn O))), etc.) as “not your older brother’s metal crowd.” Well, this is your older brother’s metal crowd. It’s denim, patches, beer, shredding. There are a few reasons why this kind of metal has not only survived, but is also experiencing a resurgence. It has no shtick; it requires no outsider approval; it thrives on its own terms.

This album is proof. Now that Cam Pipes’ falsetto has no competition, his bandmates are free to surround him with suitable riffs. The soul of Here Waits Thy Doom (Century Media, 2009) lies in the late ’70s and early ’80s. Think Mercyful Fate, Judas Priest, and their glass-shattering singers. “Preacher’s Daughter” glows with Hammond organ and hearty choruses. “Call of the Hammer” gallops with the verve of classic Metallica. Jack Endino dials up a gorgeously dry, natural production. It’s woody in every sense of the word. This record is an oaken slab with spikes of pure metal. It’ll last a while.

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