3 Inches of Blood - Battlecry Under a Winter Sun

Sonic Unyon
Published March 5, 2009  by Keith Carman in Record Reviews

Once again, Canadians benefit from the ignorance of Americans. While the Great White North has been privy to 3 Inches of Blood's debut Battlecry Under a Winter Sun for years, the U.S. has been left in the lurch. Addressing that glaring oversight, Sonic Unyon is giving the power-, thrash- and New Wave of British Heavy Metal-influenced masterpiece a full-on re-release and an update to boot. From newfangled packaging to the inclusion of songs previously available only in the U.K., Battlecry is superb; a relentless blast of molten muscle delivered with ravenous frenzy. It’s as if Iron Maiden lovingly mangled Judas Priest tunes, replete with galloping double-time riffs, hammering drums and alternately gritty and soaring vocals. Even the acoustic “Journey to the Promiseland” is a wonderful stronghold of dynamics, thanks to its cryptic choral atmosphere and Venom-ish melodic interludes. Thankfully, while most 3IOB fans already know this album, the bonus tunes “Conquerors of the Northern Sphere,” “Onward to Valhalla” and “Tonight We Rejoice” fit perfectly amongst their brethren, providing reason enough to snag this reissue.



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