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3 Inches of Blood > Long Live Heavy Metal > Reviews
3 Inches of Blood - Long Live Heavy Metal

One of the Greatest Releases of the New Wave of Heavy Metal - 85%

kluseba, September 30th, 2023
Written based on this version: 2012, CD, Century Media Records

Three Inches of Blood was a Canadian heavy metal quartet that has achieved critical acclaim with its five regular studio albums, three extended plays and numerous concert and festival appearances before calling it quits eight years ago. The band has recently been announcing its return as a quintet with two concerts in Vancouver along with American gothic metal masterminds Unto Others being schedule for next year. This is an excellent occasion to revisit the band's material that has energetically, firmly and proudly managed to stand the test of time.

The confident album title, memorable cover artwork and organic production of the band's last studio album to date underline the band's energy, spirit and strength. Long Live Heavy Metal offers two instrumental tracks as well as ten regular heavy metal tunes clocking in at a satisfactory fifty-three minutes. Several editions include many bonus tracks such as three additional heavy metal anthems, a cover version of Blue Öyster Cult and a live cut from Japan. If you are able to get your hands on such a limited edition, don't hesitate to purchase it to get the ultimate experience for seventy-three minutes of thunderous heavy metal.

There are numerous elements that have made Three Inches of Blood stand out among its peers. This already starts with the brutal band name that is quite memorable. It continues with the creative cover artworks that show room for artistry, creativity and diversity. The productions are organic, timeless and vibrant. The musicianship fluidly meanders from folk rock and hard rock to heavy metal, power metal and thrash metal. The band finds an excellent balance between impressive technical skills and emotional melodies. The guitar play is particularly playful, the bass guitar sounds are accurately interwoven, the drum play is thunderous and the melodic vocals make listeners desire to go to war.

Several highlights can be found on fifth studio record Long Live Heavy Metal. ''Metal Woman'' is an anthemic opener with grit, passion and speed that goes out to all female heavy metal fans. ''My Sword Will Not Sleep'' is a bloody battle anthem with an irresistible dose of liberating energy combined with catchy vocal melodies. ''Leather Lord'' is a heavy metal party anthem with classic trademarks that can still be sung along to after having consumed a dozen cans of beer at two o'clock in the morning. ''Leave It on the Ice'' honours Canada's most popular sport ice hockey in an energetic way and should be played in arenas all across the nation. ''Men of Fortune'' is this release's epic track with several fluid changes in genre and pace that make for an entertaining aural voyage clocking in at nearly eight minutes.

Once the wild ride is over, any fan of energetic heavy metal music should have a big smile upon the face and feel like blasting this record all over again. It's great that everyone who wasn't able to discover Three Inches of Blood might now have the opportunity to attend some concerts, purchase some merchandise and explore wonderful records such as Long Live Heavy Metal. This band hasn't lost any of its charm as its music has stood the test of time. Gather some friends, grab some cold beers and blast this release at its loudest. Long Live Heavy Metal!

3 Inches away from Painkiller - 84%

Feast for the Damned, August 14th, 2019

What happens when you mix 3 Inches of Blood with the Judas Priest classic Painkiller? Well, you will get the former band's greatest record since their sophomore, which not only blows your head off with its sheer awesomeness, it also restores the band's former glory completely (in my eyes at least). It really shocks me how most people seem to look over this album, but my guess is that the previous albums made these people lose interest in the band, but let me tell you this is one hell of a final album. Yes, this is the final album since the band split up 3 years after their release (which I really shouldn't mention considering I am writing this 4 after their break-up), but luckily this record restored their legacy.

As soon as the first song starts the Painkiller influences become obvious, but they avoid being a rip-off buy adding a spoonful of 3 Inches of Blood attitude and some B-tier harsh vocals (but I will explain this later). While almost every song has some Judas Priest influences, the 2 songs where they are presented the most are Metal Woman and Leather Lord. The former being the already well-established killer opening track and the later one is pretty much a mixture of both Leather Rebal, Hell Patrol and Painkiller. You could call that a bland rip-off but this is an album titled Long Live Heavy Metal which literally celebrates all the heavy metal classics, so it's more of a tribute to the band in my mind.

While we are talking about tributes I MUST mention the DIO tribute Look out. I don't think there is another tribute song half as epic as this is. They sing about him just the way we all remember him: being our hero, our king, our god. The way the used his song titles as part of the lyrics is pretty much one of the most beautiful and most metal gestures ever. This alone would be enough, but the fact that every single bit of the song is good is straight-up crazy. The instrumentation is tight as always, the usual melodic guitar riffs lead up to the chorus which erupts in the album's most quotable lines "He slayed the dragon each and every night, It was his right!". Also somehow they managed to fit in a synth bit which is nice considering it was also common in DIO's work.

You might have figured out this album by now. Almost every song focuses on being as anthem-like as possible with their insanely catchy and memorable choruses. However, this doesn't mean that the other elements aren't refined. Every single riff has its own purpose, every verse is impactful, every beat is there for a reason. It's an all-around well-executed record with no fillers. The second half of the album is more like a "traditional" 3 Inches of Blood album. With songs such as Storming Juno, Dio for Gold (which continues the saga that was started on Advance and Vanquish!!!) and Leave it on the Ice. They are far more aggressive, but they retain the same kind of catchy choruses. The very last song, One for the Ditch is the perfect song for saying goodbye from the band. It feels complete, ending the band's discography in the most epic and melancholic (?) way possible. 3 and a half minutes of pure instrumental storytelling, that's what this track is.

There are only a few things I can say about this album that isn't necessarily great. Let's start with the harsh vocals. I am aware of the fact that nobody will be able to replace Jamie Hooper and I also noticed that Justin Hagberg's vocals improved from the last album, but they are just completely mediocre. They are missing that energy that Hooper's vocals had thus the parts where the harsh vocals come to play are a lot less common (since the band is completely aware of this), but they still don't have enough impact. The only other "issue" I have with the album is that the second to last song, Men of Fortune is a lot less interesting than the other tracks, but even that's stretching it since around the middle of it there is a really haunting slowed down part with the cleanest vocals from the band you have ever seen.

Overall this is the album that should have came after Advance and Vanqish, but since they were messing around with other ideas, we got this album at least 5 years too late. As I already mentioned it restored the band's legacy completely and made up for a worthy last album (even though they probably weren't planning on making this the last one originally). It is only 3 Inches behind Advance and Vanquish's quality and that says a lot.

The highlights of the album are My Sword Will Not Sleep, Look Out and Leave It on the Ice.

Fair, But Nothing To Write Home About (Save Yer Stamps) - 70%

CHAIRTHROWER, January 9th, 2016
Written based on this version: 2012, CD, Mazzar Records

Having cranked 3 Inches Of Blood's previous albums until my ears bled, somewhat shook my head and frowned at their final release Long Live Heavy Metal, which entails a disappointing final chapter to otherwise illustrious legacy.

The album's first song has the same chink in the armor as "Battles & Brotherhood", off of Here Waits Thy Doom. As with prior fare, assures a solid opener whence barging in, yet it feels they're trying too hard to sell a metal head image on both these songs, with their tongue-in-cheek medieval imagery. Granted, that last album had some great moments such as "Fierce Defender", "Execution Tank" and "All Them Witches". However, instead of improving on the style and themes conveyed previously, they simply repeat the same formula this time around. All things considered, it's still a decent album; Shane Clark and Justin Hagberg's come up with some interesting riffs and original solos, though not quite as impressive as on Fire Up The Blades. Their once razor sharp wood splintering edge seems to have dulled a bit, as I yearn for the vocals of long departed Jaime Hooper, when 3IOB was one of the few bands to feature constant dual vocalist trade-offs. Cam, your soup's getting cold...

One thing about Long Live Heavy Metal: the production is as good as their other releases, but half of the songs seem repetitive whereas on Here Waits Thy Doom, each and every song rocked. I simply find myself skipping past all the songs after "My Sword Will Not Sleep", before things start picking up with "4000 Torches". This last, along with "Leave It On The Ice" are the only ones which re-capture the past glory and awesome riffing of their formative years. Die For Gold (Upon The Boiling Sea IV) is pretty cool too, as it complements the 3-part buccaneering odyssey from their second album, Advance & Vanquish. I figure it's a nice way to close shop, as they must have known this was to be their last release, and it pays homage to a long-time fan favorite. I also found that "Storming Juno" and "Men Of Fortune" are definitely worth their salt, the latter adding a new twist to their songwriting, alternating between slow, sombre, and bright moments.

I wanted to rate this a little higher than I did but the deal breaker here is that I really don't know what they were thinking with "Chief And The Blade" and their choice of a cover song. Granted, a little acoustic interlude can be pleasant at times, but this whole Robin Hood theme amalgamated with an unmistakably sounding Ugly Kid Joe harmony leaves me listless. "Journey To The Promised Land" worked on Battle Cry Under A Winter Sun, but here, it just makes me want to yawn. At least the other instrumental on the album, "One For The Ditch", makes up for it a bit and fits in better as a closing track. "Dark Passenger" is a bit bland and doesn't stand out much. Then there is the Ronnie James Dio (RIP) tribute cover song "Look Out". The only cover of theirs I really care for is Lucifer's Friend's "In The Time Of Job When Mammon Was A Yippie" (phew). I understand they wished to pay tribute to the recently deceased metal icon, but couldn't they have picked one of the masterpieces from his Black Sabbath days instead? As it is, "Look Out" (without exclamation point, to boot) just doesn't sit well with me, from it's lame chorus to tacky keyboard solo. Good effort though and kudos to them for honoring him.

Another major shortcoming is the fact "Strength Of The Brave" and "Lords Of Change" are only included on the limited edition digipak releases. Their omission from the standard Century Media CD has me completely baffled, as they would have greatly improved their final album, perhaps even bringing it up to par with their previous releases. Oh well, what can you do? At least they didn't include their stale cover of Blue Oyster Cult's "Cities On Flame With Rock And Roll".

It's a sad thing when a band that rekindled my passion for metal comes up short like this. They should have graciously hung up their bootstraps with their last effort, Here Waits Thy Doom, which still rocked hard (and in Hell!) instead of trying to keep the torch burning - no pun intended - with this release. I only hope in time they re-unite and recapture past glory and sound with stout comeback album.

Honour Satisfied - 85%

Left Hand Ov Dog, September 14th, 2012

3 Inches of Blood seem to get a lot of undeserved flak from the more stalwart, serious metal heads in this world, due perhaps to their undying devotion to magnifying the more over the top archetypes and stereotypes that have, for better or worse, defined the genre since its inception. Yes, they play heavy metal, and apparently they want you to know that. And while the title to this, their 5th record, is face-palmingly derivative, it's a step up from the floundering Here Waits Thy Doom, and an unwaveringly solid album of infectious anthems, even if it falls short of the glory the band captured and raucously incited just a few short years ago.

Indeed, I make no secret of my love for Advance and Vanquish, an explosive doomsday riff-gasm packed to the core with memorability and bombast, and I still consider it a masterpiece of modern heavy metal. It's successor, Fire Up the Blades, was a close second, but 2009's Here Waits Thy Doom seemed sparse and lacking in comparison, with a much lower overall average of memorable riffs and choruses. While Long Live Heavy Metal is still a few fabulous riffs per square foot short of the gold, it's still a fun, aggressively melodic record full of heart, and deserves a place in your collection.

The inability to conjure the spirit of their most essential material is not so surprising when one considers that none of the musicians from Advance and Vanquish remain, with even half the vocal talent having since departed. However, when the headbanging energy of Metal Woman rips out of the gate, it becomes clear that the band has found some re-invigoration, and the kinetic energy initially felt continues to charge the entirety of the album's 53 minute length. From the (Halford inspired?) moshing aggression of Leather Lord, to the spine-tingling Ronnie James Dio tribute Look Out, through the winding, epic, slicing riffs of 4000 Torches and beyond, this collection of tracks veritably oozes memorability, with the distinctly sweet ability to ingrain themselves in your mind almost instantly, featuring hooks that dig deep and refuse to relent for days to come.

Guitarist Justin Hagberg continues his onslaught of harsh vocals in support of the shrill falsetto's of Cam Pipes, and the man has seemingly grown accustomed to the style, as the vocal dichotomy continues to work in the bands favor. Those who dislike the King Diamond meets Rob Halford meets a kick to the plums vocals of Pipes will not be won over here, but to the man's credit, he has not lost an iota of his flabbergasting range or inherent hilarity. I've always enjoyed his outrageous style, and I think if their detractors didn't take themselves so damn seriously, they'd have a lot better time, not only with 3IoB, but with life in general. And that's what Long Live Heavy Metal is all about, in the end; a solid, fun release to counterbalance the posturing brutality and inherent emotional gravity of the scene in general. It's content to drink a beer and kick your ass, and really, what more can you ask for?

In fact, I have little complaint at all with Long Live Heavy Metal (beyond its continuously irksome title), and the only downside I can legitimately point to is that no matter how searing its riffs, how sticky its swelling choruses end up being in the walls of my memory, I still must inevitably compare it to Advance and Vanquish, a duel it simply cannot win. However, unlike many other bands that dwell so deeply in their own shadow that anything else is inevitably a flash-in-the-pan, a fling, or a caricature, I have a feeling I'll be spinning this one for at least a few more years. It may not be in my cycle for life, like its 2004 predecessor, but Long Live is a strong, fun, vibrant effort, featuring the band once again on the ascent, and I dare to dream they may one day again reach the summit with another classic release. Until then, though, this will more than suffice, as 3 Inches of Blood have picked themselves up by their boot-straps and once again rekindled the torch of balls-out, spirit-blazing metal for 2012, with a gleam in their eyes and axe in hand.

-Left Hand of Dog
http://reaperdivision.blogspot.com/

A Cliche Title... But Better Music Than The Last - 82%

WingsOfBlack, March 31st, 2012

Been a big fan of these guys for quite a while. Ever since I heard "The Goatriders Horde" and got used to the high vocals, I've been hooked. After the last album, I had lost hope for this band. It seemed without their growl vocalist, Jamie Hooper, they had lost their heavier edge, but this album feels like a fitting redemption for the crime of their last album.

Boy oh boy, do I love me some good sound quality, and after "Here Waits Thy Doom", this album is like an eargasm of clear, clean sound. The recording quality, guitar tones, vocal quality, and pretty much everything on this album is so much better sounding than on the last. To me it sounds like "Fire Up The Blades" Part 2; it has a lot of similar elements to that album and a similar sound (although less sinister and evil-sounding). The drums are crashing and thumping, the guitars are clear and heavy with lots of distortion to really bring the crunch, and the vocals are crisp, clean, and as high as always.

The songs are nice and heavy with a lot of newer metal sound, but they keep the balance with the old style vocals and some '80s-inspired riffs mixed in. The riffs are fast and heavy and there's plenty of fast drums and double kicks with the intense vocals of Cam Pipes and the growls of Justin worked in where it fits.

Epic storytelling and fantasy themes are back with songs like "4000 Torches", "Storming Juno" and "Die For Gold (Upon the Boiling Sea IV)" which I was surprised to see them follow up on 3 albums later. There are a few cliche lyrics here and there like in "Metal Woman" and "Leather Lord", but it's hard to avoid this with the style 3IOB goes for. The song "Storming Juno" is a great song about the invasion of Juno Beach during WWII. The song "Look Out" is a very nice tribute to the late Ronnie James Dio, which was very nice and they kept it heavy and fast (which is how I'm sure Ronnie would want his tribute) instead of making some sort of power ballad.

I'm very glad I gave this album a chance instead of brushing it off after the last record. If you like Fire Up The Blades, this record will surely put a smile on your face (or frown if you want to be metal about it).

Highlights:
-4000 Torches (that chorus is burned into my brain).
-Dark Messenger
-My Sword Will Not Sleep
-Leather Lord

Could do without:
-The lyrics of "Metal Woman" and "Leather Lord", just a bit too cliche for my taste.

Hope this review helps anyone new to the band or is wondering about this album.