3 INCHES OF BLOOD headline tonight’s show at Moho Live in Manchester, back with the aptly titled new album ‘Long Live Heavy Metal’ the high pitched Canadian metallers kick right in full throttle with the opening ‘Metal Woman’ much to the delight of the sparse yet enthusiastic Manchester crowd. Next up comes the 2004 single ‘Deadly Sinners’ and then we get a dose of the new album with the bands current favoured track ‘Leather Lord’ surely an ode to their heroes in Judas Priest? With screaming vocals reminiscent of Rob Halford and dueling guitars that wail like KK and Tipton, 3IOB are surely one of the finest bands continuing the old school of Metal’s legacy.

With current financial times meaning these tours are somewhat downscaled, and crowds not as large as the past tours, this doesn’t stop a dedicated following from all over the UK travelling to Manchester and supporting a great line-up that have travelled from North America, the excellent New Orleans GOATWHORE opened with their brand of old school meets new Heavy Metal done as it was meant to be. With a set-list full of fans favorites, 3IOB don’t disappoint, ripping through 12 of their best they give the audience what they paid for and leave Manchester with ‘Goatrider’s Horde’ before promising to come back to the UK again, lets hope they do and that the fans continue to support them.

Rating: 4.4/5.0

Review by Alex Shaw