The fourth studio album by Canadian metalist 3 Inches of Blood is the first disc to feature all new members as vocalist Jamie Hooper was advised by doctors to give up his screaming or risk permanent damage so the band relies on the clean vocals of Cam Pipes with guitarist Justin Hagberg providing the occasional growl. In some aspects this is quite a departure for them and I would have to say that Hooper's departure does take a bit away from the overall dynamic of the band but listening to the disc, it is also apparent that if you did not know their history you would not miss him.
Here Waits Thy Doom will stand up against any of their previous work and shows a band that is growing musically with every release. Their roots are in the NWOBHM or groups such as Manowar with just a touch of the old Viking metal spirit thrown in. From the opening song "Battles and Brotherhood" this tried and true metal formula hits with an onslaught of six string power that will have you putting the horns up high and induce massive amounts of neck pain with all the head banging going on. With very little let up throughout the disc this is one that the metalheads should just drool over. It is power/thrash metal to the max and will be an album that will make its way into the player time and time again.
The other thing that is striking about 3 Inches of Blood is that they do not seem to try to stick to one genre. The battle metal of the already mentioned song along with "Call Of The Hammer" will have you looking for the broadsword while songs like "Rock In Hell" and "Preacher's Daughter" might bring to mind someone like Judas Priest. For good measure they also toss in a nifty little acoustic instrumental called "12:34" and then end the disc with a very powerful piece of epic metal called "Execution Tank". This is an album that will keep you busy and one of the very pleasant surprises I have found this year. Without a doubt they have what it takes to be a major player in the world of metal. All it is going to take is for them to get a chance. They can bring it with the best of them and this is one disc that is a must have for any head banger!
Track listing:
1. Battles and Brotherhood
2. Rock In Hell
3. Silent Killer
4. Fierce Defender
5. Preacher's Daughter
6. Call of the Hammer
7. Snake Fighter
8. At The Foot Of The Great Glacier
9. All of the Witches
10. 12:34
11. Execution Tank
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