3 Inches Of Blood — Battlecry Under A Winter Sun

Battlecry Under A Winter Sun is volume one of Vancouver's 3 Inches Of Blood, back when the group shared stages with Hot Hot Heat and before they shed two-thirds of their roster. The album went somewhat unnoticed in many parts of the country when it was originally released in 2002, but it became a lightning rod for the burgeoning east Vancouver punk and metal scenes, and tracks like "Destroy The Orcs" and "Balls Of Ice" became scene classics.

All the metalheads' calling cards are here — Cam Pipes' wail, the Judas Priest-meets-Iron Maiden riffs, and, uh, songs about killing orcs. The sound has since been dubbed "new wave of east Van heavy metal," and it's carried the band to international notoriety.

This Sonic Unyon reissue includes four bonus tracks, which are B-sides from the "Destroy The Orcs" and "Ride Darkhorse, Ride" singles, and match the quality of the group's debut. Vocalists Pipes and Jamie Hooper are all that remain from the original lineup (guitarists Sunny Dhak and Bob Froese later formed Pride Tiger). The group's modus operandi is the same, but this is 3 Inches Of Blood at their most raw and vital.

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