3 Inches of Blood
w/ Death of Kings and Withered
May 09, 2013
Atlanta, GA
The Earl
It’s been too damn long since Canadian metal warriors 3 Inches of Blood have graced Atlanta with their presence. I was beginning to think that I would never see them supporting Long Live Heavy Metal but low and behold, they finally made it here. After arriving at the venue and having a really awesome interview with singer Cam Pipes, I picked up an ice cold Yuengling from the good lookin’ redhead waitress and I made my way to the door where I patiently waited on them to open up and let us all in.
First up was the local band Death of Kings. This is another one of those bands whose name I have heard buzzing around town. I had listened to their recent EP and I didn’t really dig it at all. It just wasn’t my thing but as we all know, sometimes seeing a band live can change your perspective or your ideas of a band. In the case of Death of Kings, it did just the opposite. Seeing them live made me hope that I never have to see them live again. I’m sure these guys are all really nice dudes but I just couldn’t take the songs they were playing. The songs were just a wall of noise with no melody whatsoever and the voice of the guy playing guitar and singing lead was like nails on a chalkboard. The band’s songs just did absolutely nothing for me. At times each song would just sound like an extension of the previous one and other times it sounded like they were each doing 4 completely different songs. The singer/guitar player dude was giving it his all I have to say but between his constant hair flipping and over use of the word fuck (“We got some fucking merch that some fucking hot fucking girls are selling so fucking check it out. This is a fucking song blah blah blah.) I just kinda found myself rolling my eyes. At one point I found myself daydreaming, making a grocery list on my phone, and planning dinner for the next night. I know I sound like an old curmudgeon but in all honesty, they just weren’t my cup of tea. While I didn’t really dig what they were doing, everyone in attendance seemed to be really into it so kudos to them for that.
Up next was another local band called Withered and these guys made Death of Kings sound like Dream Theater. Hearing this band just once again solidified the fact that I cannot stand death metal and those goddamn Cookie Monster vocals. Why write lyrics when nobody has a single clue what you are singing? Anyways, Withered, much like Death of Kings, had me hoping for a short set. It was kind of funny at a few points during the set to watch them do “harmony cookie monster vocals.” Then they would even switch off back and forth. It was like one of them would say, “Dude, take over so I can headbang bro” and the other guy was like, “Sweet I got this” and then the other guy would be like, “I got this bro, you headbang now.” So much screaming. So much screaming!!!! I really felt like I was living in an Excedrin commercial.
Finally, what I had been waiting for all fucking night. 3 Inches of Blood took the stage before a packed, rabid room and without much warning kicked off with “Metal Woman” and with a force of what felt like a thousand, lil ol’ me was slammed right up against the stage (gnarly battle bruise to show for it) and right away I knew it was going to be a fucking insane night. 3 Inches of Blood was touring as a four piece this time around since bassist Byron Stroud was home with his wife and new baby. This kind of had me a little worried because that twin guitar sound is such a massive signature of the 3 Inches of Blood sound but with guitarist Justin Hagberg taking over bass duties, the band didn’t miss a single note. The vibe of the band was as powerful as it always is but they really seemed to be stepping it up to a new level of awesomeness. Once again I was shown just why 3 Inches of Blood is one of the greatest metal bands in the land. These guys just know how to work a crowd but mainly through the music. It’s always entertaining to me to see these bands saying shit like, “Fuckers! You better mosh and yadda yadda yadda” as the crowd just stands there. Cam Pipes has the presence of a metal front man that has been doing this for 20 something years. He’s a total pro and all he pours himself into each and every song and this, in addition to the amazing songs, is what fuels the audience. The set was a great mix of songs spanning their career and I really felt like they left no stones unturned. The highlight for me came when Cam addressed the crowd by saying, “Metal warriors of Atlanta. Prepare to enter the Trial of Champions.” With that the place erupted and once again… BAM! Right smack into Cam Pipes’ monitor! That man has the voice of a thousand souls crying in terror and my face was right in his monitor. Even with earplugs in my poor ears were taking a beating and I was loving it. “Battles and Brotherhood” was another awesome moment which had the band segueing into the last section of the Rush classic “Tom Sawyer.” This completely caught everyone off guard as 3ioB paid tribute to their Canadian brothers. After nearly an hour on stage, 3 Inches of Blood wrapped things up with “The Goatrider’s Horder” and left it all on stage. I physically exhausted, sore, and nearly completely dehydrated. What an awesome feeling. As I assessed how I felt, I couldn’t even begin to imagine how the band must feel every night. 3 Inches of Blood left it all on the stage and once again reminded me just why they are one of my all-time favorite bands.
3 Inches of Blood Setlist
Metal Woman, Deadly Sinners, Leather Lord, Upon the Boiling Sea I: Fear on the Bridge, Wykydtron, Dark Messenger, Trial of Champions, Battles and Brotherhood >Tom Sawyer, Destroy the Orcs, The Goatrider’s Horde
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