Anvil

Anvil is a Canadian heavy metal band from Toronto, active from 1978 to the present. The group begins with high school friends Steve “Lips” Kudlow and Robb Reiner, who start playing music together in Toronto in 1973. The first line-up that becomes Anvil forms in 1978 with Kudlow on lead vocals and lead guitar, Reiner on drums, Dave Allison on vocals and rhythm guitar, and Ian Dickson on bass.

History and recordings

The band first issues an independent album, Hard 'N Heavy, in 1981. After signing to Attic Records, it reissues the album as Anvil’s debut under the new name. In 1987, Anvil signs with Metal Blade Records and releases three albums there, beginning with Strength of Steel. That record becomes the group’s most commercially successful release in the United States, reaching number 191 on the Billboard 200.

Anvil later records for Maximum Records, then from 1996 appears on Hypnotic Records in Canada and Massacre Records in Germany. In 2001 the band records “Plenty of Power” while continuing to tour. In 2006 it records again with producer Chris Tsangarides, who had also produced the 1982 album Metal on Metal; the resulting album, This Is Thirteen, appears in 2007 and is available exclusively through the band’s official website.

Documentary and wider profile

The band’s career is documented in the 2009 film Anvil! The Story of Anvil, which helps bring the group back into wider public attention. At the film’s Sundance premiere, Anvil performs “Cat Scratch Fever” with Slash and Anthrax’s Scott Ian. The documentary leads to appearances at festivals including Download Festival in 2009, and the book Anvil: The Story of Anvil is published in 2009 by Bantam Press, written by Kudlow and Reiner with a foreword by Slash. Kudlow and Reiner also appear as featured guests on That Metal Show in March 2009.

Later albums and touring

From June to July 2010, Anvil tours Europe and sells out venues in the UK, Spain, Belgium, Switzerland, Germany and the Netherlands, while also playing festivals in Finland, Sweden, France, Italy and Germany. Its 14th studio album, Juggernaut of Justice, is released in 2011 on The End Records, after which the band tours Europe and North America and plays alongside acts including Alice Cooper and Saxon. That same year it releases the greatest-hits collection Monument of Metal: The Very Best of Anvil and begins reissuing older material, including Strength of Steel, Pound for Pound and Worth the Weight.

Bassist Glenn Gyorffy leaves in 2012 because of creative differences and is replaced by Sal Italiano, who previously plays in the Iron Maiden tribute band Live After Death. Anvil tours the US in winter 2012 and releases Hope in Hell in 2013, produced by Bob Marlette. By then the band has signed to Steamhammer, which releases its next two albums. It opens for Metallica in Singapore, plays Wacken Open Air in Germany, tours Australia and undertakes an extensive US tour in 2014.

In 2014, Raven Banner Entertainment releases Louder Than Hell: Wacken, The Movie, a collector’s edition DVD of the Wacken concert featuring Anvil alongside Alice Cooper, Anthrax, Annihilator, Deep Purple, Henry Rollins, Lamb of God, Motörhead, Rammstein and Trivium. Also in 2014, Sal Italiano leaves and Chris Robertson takes over on bass; Robertson had already been serving as rehearsal bassist and as part of the road crew.

The album Anvil Is Anvil follows in 2016, with tours in Europe and Japan. Pounding the Pavement is released in 2018, and Legal at Last follows in 2020 on AFM Records. The band is also set up under the label name Anvil Songs.

Style and influence

Anvil is classified as heavy metal, metal, speed metal and thrash metal. It is associated with the influence of later bands including Slayer and Metallica. The line-up history includes Steve “Lips” Kudlow, Robb Reiner, Dave Allison, Ian Dickson, Sebastian Marino, Mike Duncan, Ivan Hurd, Glenn Five, Sal Italiano and Chris Robertson.