by Ed Rivadavia

It doesn't take a genius to realize that Three Inches of Blood's second album will likely be the one to make or break them, such is the nature of their old-school -- OK, let's just say it: derivative -- style of heavy metal. Indeed, much like '70s hard rock revisionists the Darkness, its natural to assume that the Canadian sextet will quickly run aground for lack of original ideas when trying to recycle and re-energizing the well-worn thrash and classic metal devices of old. That is, if you don't think they already have! Anyway, elsewhere described as Iron Maiden on speed, Three Inches of Blood struck a new deal with none other than metal stalwart label Roadrunner for the release of that sophomore effort, 2004's Advance and Vanquish, and if that doesn't bode well for its prospects, well, then perhaps nothing will. Choice highlights such as "Deadly Sinners," "Premonition of Pain," and the almost single-worthy "Crazy Nights" charge straight into the fray of battle, their controlled thrashings and reliably over the top lyrics resembling Painkiller-era Judas Priest, but even more vicious. This comparison is given further weight by the piercing screams of co-vocalist Cam Pipes, who once again finds himself matched almost word for word here by the lacerated shrieks of Jamie Hooper. A surprisingly successful and original trick, their high-octane duets remain the group's most distinctive quality, and the latter's contributions to reworked oldie "Destroy the Orcs," the brilliantly named "The Phantom of the Crimson Cloak," and the downright awesome "Dominion of Deceit" help 3IB sound like prime-era Accept in a way the original article hasn't in, oh, two decades. These songs remain relatively compact in structure and rarely exceed three or four minutes in length throughout, so fans of epic songwriting to match their "sword and sorcery" wordplay will have to content themselves with the three separate tunes (opening, halving, and closing the LP) comprising the "Upon the Boiling Sea" suite. In addition, even though it doesn't really mess with the first album's pre-established formula, Advance and Vanquish's superior production standards and increased abundance of pyrotechnic guitar solos, not to mention the band's new and improved rhythm section, reveal a faster, sleeker, meaner Three Inches of Blood. And that may be what elevates this second attempt over its rougher, notoriously uneven, and, if it's possible, sillier predecessor. Advance and Vanquish contains both fewer peaks and fewer valleys, but likewise fails to pack that single, irresistible knockout punch that's guaranteed to break Three Inches of Blood out of the heavy metal masses once and for all. Time will tell.