I'm sure it grates on the band's nerves, but non-metal folks with uncommon metal tolerances are going to love this thing for its mocking nature. The obvious reference is The Darkness, although this is not ragged undisciplined Angel City worship, more a lethal rip through drunken power metal, NWOBHM, German thrash and melodic death. Call it The Darkness for purists, heart-palpitating speed metal with gorgeous, inventive, complicated riffs, punky attitude and a vocalist in Cam Pipes that is, well, gonna be controversial, given his dramatic shriek sound-painting primary-coloured pictures that are squarely making fun of dumb metal lyrics - just like 'Black Shuck' from The Darkness, a track dubiously comparable with this band's 'The Phantom Of The Crimson Cloak'. But hell, Hammerfall kicked off power metal by more or less making fun of metal and themselves, however unintentionally; Cradle are a bit camp as well (and come to think of it, this band nestle nicely between those two polarities). No doubt 3 Inches Of Blood know what they are doing. They have a hip post-metal name that betrays that fact, and then dive right in to the piss-take task with a troo metal album title, cover art, and on she goes... It's a fine line. Wolf is beloved for dancing on it; Toronto's Cloven Blade would have been, had they not broken up. Have 3 Inches Of Blood gone over? I for one, don't mind the wonks, slake on the energy, and admire greatly the constant barrage of first class riffing. So there.