- Aug 18, 2002
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3 Inches of Blood Fire Up the Blades
Roadrunner 1686-180232 26 June 07
By Ryan Starr
The weak will burn!
That pretty much sums up Fire Up the Blades. Like a Manowar album, the worthy will rock and the posers shall be slayed. I know 3 Inches of Blood are a hot topic in the scene. Some people love them, and some hate them. But for a guy who loves cheesy metal about Infinite Legions of undead demon hordes, this is just too cool.
Everyone should know what to expect from this band. Great riffs with a delightfully old school vibe are this bands trademark, and this album has that in spades. Even the parts with blast beats sound old school. And while the riffs and leads arent as technical as the latest Widow release, they are well written and memorable. But dont get me wrong, Im not saying everything is over simplified radio tripe. That couldnt be further from the truth. There is enough shred to give the fans of guitar wankery a small fix, but dont expect anything on the level of Satriani or Malmsteen. And they dont need to be. The key to a great solo isnt how many notes you can fit into 30 seconds, but how memorable it is. The ability to write a lead that will have you standing on your desk at work playing air guitar. And 3 Inches of Blood can do that time after time.
Not only can they write killer leads, but they can also write a catchy chorus. The Hydras Teeth is a perfect example of this. I dont know what it is about that vocal melody, but I just cant help myself, I need to sing along. I probably look like a total retard driving around town singing, and my Halford vocals are terrible, but who cares?! I wanna rock!
I know I bag on bands for not being progressive and just rehashing the classics. And I really do hate that, but Fire Up the Blades is proof that you can borrow from the greats and still make it sound new and different. It takes a lot of heart and creativity, and perhaps a lot of beer, but it can be done.
Official 3 Inches of Blood Website
Official Roadrunner Website
Roadrunner 1686-180232 26 June 07
By Ryan Starr
The weak will burn!
That pretty much sums up Fire Up the Blades. Like a Manowar album, the worthy will rock and the posers shall be slayed. I know 3 Inches of Blood are a hot topic in the scene. Some people love them, and some hate them. But for a guy who loves cheesy metal about Infinite Legions of undead demon hordes, this is just too cool.
Everyone should know what to expect from this band. Great riffs with a delightfully old school vibe are this bands trademark, and this album has that in spades. Even the parts with blast beats sound old school. And while the riffs and leads arent as technical as the latest Widow release, they are well written and memorable. But dont get me wrong, Im not saying everything is over simplified radio tripe. That couldnt be further from the truth. There is enough shred to give the fans of guitar wankery a small fix, but dont expect anything on the level of Satriani or Malmsteen. And they dont need to be. The key to a great solo isnt how many notes you can fit into 30 seconds, but how memorable it is. The ability to write a lead that will have you standing on your desk at work playing air guitar. And 3 Inches of Blood can do that time after time.
Not only can they write killer leads, but they can also write a catchy chorus. The Hydras Teeth is a perfect example of this. I dont know what it is about that vocal melody, but I just cant help myself, I need to sing along. I probably look like a total retard driving around town singing, and my Halford vocals are terrible, but who cares?! I wanna rock!
I know I bag on bands for not being progressive and just rehashing the classics. And I really do hate that, but Fire Up the Blades is proof that you can borrow from the greats and still make it sound new and different. It takes a lot of heart and creativity, and perhaps a lot of beer, but it can be done.
Official 3 Inches of Blood Website
Official Roadrunner Website
