There's a reason fans have come to their shows wearing Viking helmets and brandishing both real and plastic swords. Born out of a love for pure metal, weaned on a diet of fantasy and mythology, 3 Inches of Blood have been slaying the infidel and defending the faith for nearly eight years.

In that time, they've released two albums and splattered the ground with crimson streaks while on tour with Satyricon, Black Dahlia Murder, Motorhead and Cradle of Filth. These are mighty accomplishments for dedicated warriors from Vancouver, British Columbia, a region that's not exactly the Camelot of heavy metal. And with their new album, Fire Up the Blades, 3 Inches of Blood have surpassed even their own manly exploits, crafting a baker's dozen of anthems and stormers that crash, rip and roar like a Medieval skirmish.

While 3 Inches of Blood are eager to see how fans react to their new album, and are even looking forward to the return of the kids with swords and shields, they're also curious about what new kinds of lunatics will pop up at their shows. "The music's more extreme now, but I don't know how much more extreme some of these fans can get," Hooper says. "In Cincinnati, we had a fellow come onstage with a pig's head on a stick. He fell down and dropped the head and we had to soccer ball kick it off the stage. Then, in Fargo, North Dakota, a guy came on holding a severed deer's head over his head. The tongue was sticking out and blood was dripping all over his face. How much more metal can you get than that?" Take a running dive into The Blades, and find out.