3 Inches Of Blood Fire Up The Blade (2-LP, colored Vinyl, Ltd.)

(Real Gone Music) 16 tracks, gatefold cover with lyrics, colored vinyl in "Crimson Fire" vinyl, limited edition of 1250 copies

How could the Canadian heavy metal band 3 Inches of Blood increase the intensity after their 2004 masterpiece "Advance and Vanquish"? Well, by enlisting Slipknot drummer Jordy Jordison to produce their next album and adding a new instrumental lineup of former Allfather lead guitarist Justin Hagberg and former Walls of Jericho drummer Alexei Rodriguez to the band's unique dual vocals of Cam Pipes on "clean" vocals and Jamie Hooper on "scream" vocals. The result was 2007's "Fire Up the Blades," which was, as Hooper put it, "a faster, more intense version of us." That said, there are no faster, more intense albums than this one; that the epic lyrics are good enough to have been penned by George R. R. Martin from "Game of Thrones" is just a bonus. Speaking of bonuses: For the vinyl debut of "Fire Up the Blades" (and after consulting with the band), we upped the ante with a 2-LP release that includes a full side of additional tracks released right around the time the album came out, including their cover of the Lucifer's Friend song "In the Time of Job When Mammon Was a Yippie."