4 Stars
Audio CD (paid link)
It’s 2022. It’s summertime. So therefore, we are due some really zany goofy fun from those wonderful people from Anvil, Canada’s great export into the world of heavy metal and thrash metal. In fact, they have been going so long they are now cited as the Godfathers of thrash/heavy metal. Here we stand with a new album, ‘Impact is Imminent.’ Are they still Fun? Are they still heavy? Are they as goofy as ever? Are the guitar solos something that makes you want to grab your tennis racket and throw shapes while gurning dreadfully? Are the lyrics still absolute twaddle?
The answer is, of course, a big fat resounding “Yes” to all of the above.
Founding members Steve ‘Lips’ Kudlow on lead guitar, vocals and vibrator, and Robb Reiner on drums are joined by bassist Chris Robertson (a relative newcomer, having joined in 2014).
More new releases can be found by clicking here
Kudlow and Reiner started playing together in Toronto, Canada, in 1973, in a band called Lips. Upon signing with Attic Records in 1981, they changed their name to the much heavier sounding Anvil. Being called Lips, they did not want to be confused with a disco band!
The band garnered a modicum of success in the late 80’s but soon faded into obscurity. But Lips would never give up dragging the battered Anvil out on the road whenever it was financially feasible. Germany was an Anvil stronghold! Anvil had a recording contract with German record label Massacre, where they recorded and released a further five albums, which in Lips’ own words, were not very well received, selling less and less.
Anvil gained a small piece of recognition back when their 13th album was produced by Chris Tasangarides, who had produced their most successful album ‘Metal on Metal’ in 1982. But still no major label interest, so the album was a self-release on their own label and available through their website. But still they hammered on.
Click here for great music from the past
But lo, help was at hand.
Uber fan, former Anvil roadie turned screenwriter/director Sascha Gervasi approached Anvil to do a Rockumentary, ‘Anvil: The Story of Anvil.’ It was to be a brief history of the band, turning into a detailed report on the difficulties of being on the road for a small band. The film met not only with incredible critical praise but great commercial success. Lips himself showed great fortitude with a wonderful sense of humor, catapulting Anvil back into the spotlight. The following tours of Canada and Europe were complete sellouts, making Anvil more popular and famous than they had ever been in the eighties. They were immediately signed up by major record labels, releasing albums to relative success. At least some people were buying them.
The fun was back.
So here we are in 2022 with album 19, ‘Impact is Imminent,’ produced by Martin ‘Mattes’ Pfeiffer and Jorg Uken.
The songs pound their way into your head, as ever exercising your neck muscles as you head-bang along. Of course, it is all absurd, and when Lips tries to be all aggressive on opener ‘Take A Lesson,’ you cannot help but smirk. ‘Lockdown’ kinda gives the content of the song away.
‘Wizard’s Wand’ is delightfully absurd, but Lips saves the day with an epic guitar solo as he rips at the strings on his axe. ‘Teabag’ is just so ridiculous you cannot help yourself. ‘Teabag’ is a heavy riff with the title repeated as a spoken chorus being the only words, which Lips “sings” with as straight a face as he could manage. Going down ‘The Rabbit Hole’ would’ve made Alice seriously think about taking the plunge. Closing instrumental ‘Gomez’ could easily be the soundtrack to a Wacky Races cartoon.
If you want fun with your heavy rock, here it is. Long Live the Anvil.
If you were wondering why Lips was credited with playing a vibrator? I suggest you look on YouTube, or better still, see the movie.
Written by Mott the Dog.
Remember to visit and subscribe to Mott’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1003417143122919/
