3 Inches Of Blood

3 Inches Of Blood

3 Inches Of Blood is a Canadian heavy metal group from Victoria, formed in 1999. The band performs power metal and related heavy metal styles, and the current members listed are Cam Pipes, Brian Redman, Shane Clark, Justin Hagberg, Ash Pearson and Matt Wood.

Formation and early releases

The group first plays straight heavy metal influenced by bands such as Running Wild and Judas Priest. It records its debut album, Battlecry Under a Winter Sun, in 2002 and releases it on the Teenage Rampage label. Cam Pipes joins before that album is recorded as the band’s high-register vocalist.

Breakthrough and Roadrunner Records

Battlecry Under a Winter Sun initially attracts little attention, but the band gains wider exposure after its UK distribution label places it on tour support with The Darkness. This leads to increased attention in underground metal circles. In 2004 the band signs to Roadrunner Records, which promotes it heavily.

Advance and Vanquish and wider recognition

The band’s second album, Advance and Vanquish, brings further visibility. The track “Deadly Sinners” appears on sampler CDs, compilations and in the video game Tony Hawk’s Underground 2. A slot on the 2005 Road Rage tour also helps expand its audience.

Style and image

3 Inches Of Blood is known for its theatrical approach to classic metal, with high-pitched vocals and lyrical themes that draw on heavy metal tradition. Cam Pipes describes the group as a serious heavy metal band rather than a joke act. In live performance, the band dresses in a more traditional heavy metal style than in some of its official photographs.