Old-school metal holds a dear place in my heart, and I’m proud to say I never condoned the crap that those doll-faced boys spewed out in the ’80s.  Saxon, Iron Maiden and Judas Priest were more to my liking, as they didn’t water down the music but rather poured gasoline on the flames.  With screaming-for-vengeance vocals, razor sharp guitar riffs, and thunderous drumming, 3 Inches of Blood plays the type of metal that would make Rob Halford proud. 

3 Inches of Blood joins Ozzy Osbourne and Static-X, Lamb of God, Hatebreed, Lordi, Behemoth, Mondo Generator, Nile, Ankla, Circus Diablow, The Showdown and others for Ozzfest July12 at the White River Amphitheatre and July 14 at the Gorge Amphitheatre.

Tickets for the noon show will be distributed through ticket codes at monsterenergy.com, jagermusic.com, fye.com, livenation.com and ozzfest.com.  Beginning June 12 cans can visit Livenation.com/ozzfest to enter their codes for tickets.

3IOB is preparing to unleash its third thrashing, Fire Up the Blades (Roadrunner Records), next month, although you can catch the band this Saturday twice at Hell's Kitchen. â€" Tony Engelhart

[Hell’s Kitchen, Saturday, May 19, Two Shows: with Book Of Black Earth, Darkness Stole The Sky, Left Alive, 5 p.m. all ages; with Violence Unfolds, Severus, Mos Generator, 9 p.m., 21+; $10 each, 3829 Sixth Ave., Tacoma, 253.759.6003]