Anvil | |
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![]() Anvil in 2010. L-R: former bassist Glenn Five, Steve "Lips" Kudlow, Robb Reiner | |
Background information | |
Also known as | Lips (1978–1981) |
Origin | Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
Genres | |
Years active | 1973–present |
Labels |
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Members | Steve "Lips" Kudlow Robb Reiner Chris Robertson |
Past members | Ivan Hurd Sebastian Marino Ian Dickson Dave Allison Mike Duncan Glenn Gyorffy Sal Italiano |
Anvil is a Canadian heavy metal band formed in Toronto in 1978. [2] The band currently consists of founding members guitarist/vocalist Steve "Lips" Kudlow and drummer Robb Reiner, along with bassist Chris Robertson who joined in 2014. As of 2024, the band has released twenty studio albums; they have been cited as having influenced many notable heavy metal groups including Megadeth, Slayer, Anthrax, and Metallica. [3]
Reviewers described Anvil as a pioneering heavy metal band which was popular in the 1980s but then faded into obscurity in the 1990s, while refusing to stop playing, recording, and gigging. [4] Anvil's antics on and off stage, the setbacks they suffered, and their determination to keep going have been compared to the fictional band Spinal Tap. [4] [5] [6] [7] [8]
Anvil began in April 1973 in a suburb of Toronto, when high school friends Steve "Lips" Kudlow and Robb Reiner began playing music together. They met through a friend, guitarist and neighbor Marty Hoffman, but "musical differences" caused his departure after their first show. [9] In 1978, the first full line-up of the band included Kudlow (lead vocals, lead guitar), Reiner (drums), Dave "Squirrely" Allison (rhythm guitar, backing vocals), and Ian "Dix" Dickson (bass). [9] At that point, the band was called Lips.
In 1981, the band released an independent album called Hard 'N' Heavy . Shortly after that they were signed by Attic Records and changed their name to Anvil. Their independent album was rereleased by Attic as their debut album for the company. After its release, British rock musician Lemmy asked Kudlow to play guitar for Motörhead, to replace "Fast" Eddie Clarke, but Kudlow declined. [10]
By 1983, Aerosmith manager David Krebs and assistant Paul O'Neill had signed a managing contract with Anvil and convinced Attic to release the band from its contract, so the band could sign with a major label. [11] However, after initial interest, Krebs eventually stopped returning phone calls and did not get the band a major label recording contract; he released the band in mid-1986. [12]
In 1987 the band was signed with American label Metal Blade Records by William Howell, a fan who became a DJ with KNAC radio. [13] The band released three records with Metal Blade, starting with Strength of Steel , which was the group's most commercially successful record in the United States; it peaked at No. 191 on the Billboard 200. [14]
In 1991, Anvil was signed by Mausoleum Records which, in 1992, released their sixth album Worth the Weight . In 1996, they were signed by Hypnotic Records in Canada and Massacre Records in Germany. Hypnotic and Massacre released the albums, Plugged in Permanent (1996), [15] Absolutely No Alternative (1997), [16] Speed of Sound (1999), [17] Plenty of Power (2001) [18] and Still Going Strong (2002). [19] The albums were not particularly well-received, [20] and Kudlow said that Anvil would not have continued had it not been for the German fans and the German contract, adding "We'll play gigs sometimes where there's no one there". [9] [21]
In 1995, guitarist Sebastian Marino left the band to join Overkill. He was replaced by Ivan Hurd.
In 2006, the band recorded with Chris Tsangarides, who produced their acclaimed 1982 album Metal on Metal . After failing to find a new label, the album, This Is Thirteen , was self-released in 2007 [22] and was available exclusively from the band's website. [23] Guitarist Ivan Hurd left the band at this point to settle down with his new wife, Anvil's former tour manager Tiziana Arrigoni.
In 2008, the band was the subject of the documentary film Anvil! The Story of Anvil , directed by the screenwriter and former Anvil roadie Sacha Gervasi. The film garnered critical acclaim from many major publications; Rolling Stone called it "the year's most praised rock doc." [24] [25] At the film's premiere, which took place at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival, the band played "Cat Scratch Fever" with Slash and Anthrax's Scott Ian.
The high praise for the movie [26] put Anvil back into the public consciousness, [27] and brought the band opening slots with AC/DC [28] and Saxon, [29] plus appearances at major festivals, including the Download, [30] [31] Hellfest, [32] Bumbershoot [33] and SXSW. [34]
After the success of the Anvil documentary, VH1 Classic Records re-released This Is Thirteen on CD and vinyl on September 15, 2009, with a newly recorded song, "Thumb Hang", which was written by the band during the 1980s. The double-vinyl LP contains re-recorded versions of Anvil classics "Metal on Metal" and "666". [35]
In 2009, Bantam Press released the book Anvil: The Story of Anvil, authored by Kudlow and Reiner with a foreword by Slash. [36] On March 28, 2009, Kudlow and Reiner were the featured guests on VH1 Classic's That Metal Show. Anvil played the Rocklahoma festival in Pryor, Oklahoma, in 2009 and opened for AC/DC at their first few summer Black Ice World Tour shows (North American leg II). They also supported Saxon on a leg of UK shows in November. [37]
Anvil appeared on The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien on October 6, 2009, the first network television appearance of their career, to coincide with the release of Anvil! The Story Of Anvil on DVD in North America; on the show, the band performed "Metal on Metal". [38]
On October 8, 2009, Anvil filmed a cameo performance in a rock club for The Green Hornet . [39]
From June to July 2010, Anvil went on a tour of Europe, selling out certain venues in the UK, Spain, Belgium, Switzerland, Germany, and the Netherlands as well as appearing at festivals in Finland, Sweden, France, Italy, and Germany. [40] The band released Juggernaut of Justice , [41] their 14th studio album, on May 10, 2011, care of The End Records. [42] [43]
After the release of the album the band completed yet more tours in Europe and North America, often playing alongside artists such as Alice Cooper [44] and Saxon. [45] The band released a new greatest hits album Monument of Metal: The Very Best of Anvil. Anvil also started re-releasing their old material, starting with Strength of Steel , Pound For Pound , and Worth the Weight later that same year.
In January 2012, bassist Glenn Gyorffy quit Anvil citing creative differences. [46] [47] He was replaced by Sal Italiano, late of Iron Maiden tribute band Live After Death. [48] [49]
Anvil embarked on a 2012 Winter Tour of the US and in May 2013, released Hope in Hell , a studio recording produced by Bob Marlette. Kudlow said that in some songs he was inspired by his love of heavy rock'n'roll, which made him feel he "found his way home", [21] to the time when they did their first record. In an interview with The Drummer's Journal, Lips outlined how the record was written "as if it was 1983 again." [50] At that point, the band had signed with Steamhammer, which would release its next two albums. Anvil toured to promote the new album; they opened for Metallica in Singapore, [51] played Wacken Open Air in Germany, swung through Australia [52] and, in 2014, went on an extensive US tour. [53]
In 2014, Raven Banner Entertainment released Louder Than Hell: Wacken, The Movie, a collector's edition DVD of the Wacken concert featuring Alice Cooper, Anthrax, Anvil, Annihilator, Deep Purple, Henry Rollins, Lamb of God, Motörhead, Rammstein, and Trivium. [54] Also in 2014, Anvil parted ways with Sal Italiano and replaced him with Chris Robertson, who was already acting as the band's rehearsal bassist and a member of their road crew.
The album Anvil Is Anvil was released on February 26, 2016; the band toured Europe and Japan in support of it. [55] Anvil continued touring as its seventeenth album, Pounding the Pavement, was released on January 19, 2018. [56] The band's 18th album, Legal at Last, was released on February 14, 2020, by AFM Records. [57] [58] On May 20, 2022, Anvil's 19th album Impact Is Imminent was released. [59] [60]
On January 1, 2023, former guitarist Sebastian Marino died at the age of 57. [61]
The band still does small gigs wherever possible, including a show at Crossroads in Garwood, New Jersey on April 7, 2023 with Don Jamieson, Midnite Hellion, and Corvid Corpus. The group released One and Only, the band's twentieth album, in 2024. [62]
Anvil! The Story of Anvil is a 2008 Canadian rockumentary film about the Canadian heavy metal band Anvil. The film is directed by screenwriter Sacha Gervasi, in his directorial debut, and features interviews with other musicians who have been influenced by the band, including Slash, Tom Araya, Lemmy, Scott Ian, and Lars Ulrich.
Arkaea was a metal band formed in 2008 featuring members from Fear Factory and Threat Signal.
Metal on Metal is the second studio album by Canadian heavy metal band Anvil, released in 1982.
Hard 'n' Heavy is the debut studio album by Canadian heavy metal band Anvil. It was originally released independently under the band name "Lips".
Forged in Fire is the third studio album by Canadian heavy metal band Anvil, released in 1983.
Strength of Steel is the fourth studio album by Canadian heavy metal band Anvil. It was released by Metal Blade and Enigma Records on June 22, 1987.
Past and Present – Live in Concert is the first live album by Canadian heavy metal band Anvil, released in 1989.
Plugged in Permanent is the seventh studio album by Canadian heavy metal band Anvil, released in 1996. The new official bass player was Glenn Gyorffy but studio bass tracks are credited to Mike Duncan, in his first and only release, replacing Ian Dickson. It is also the first release with Ivan Hurd on guitar replacing Sebastian Marino.
Backwaxed is a compilation album by the Canadian heavy metal band Anvil. It is a compilation which features five unreleased tracks recorded during sessions for previous albums on side one, and five previously released tracks on side two. It is Anvil's only album with a main title not consisting of three words with the first and third words starting with the same letter.
This Is Thirteen is the thirteenth studio album by Canadian heavy metal band Anvil. The original release of This Is Thirteen has 13 tracks to coincide with the album title. Some tracks are included in the movie Anvil! The Story of Anvil, which devotes some time to the recording of the album, specifically the song "Game Over". In addition, "Burning Bridges" is heard in The Final Destination, but is not on the soundtrack to that film. This Is Thirteen sold over 1,400 copies in its first week of release in the United States, and by 2009 it had sold over 7,300 copies in the United States.
Back to Basics is the twelfth studio album by Canadian heavy metal band Anvil, released in 2004.
Still Going Strong is the eleventh studio album by Canadian heavy metal band Anvil, released in 2002.
Speed of Sound is the ninth studio album by Canadian heavy metal band Anvil, released in 1999.
Plenty of Power is the tenth studio album by Canadian heavy metal band Anvil, released in 2001.
Juggernaut of Justice is the fourteenth studio album by Canadian heavy metal band Anvil. It was recorded at Dave Grohl's Studio 606 in Northridge, Los Angeles, and produced by Bob Marlette. It was released on May 10, 2011. Juggernaut of Justice sold over 1,600 copies in its first week of release in the U.S. It is the final Anvil album to feature bassist Glenn Five.
Hope in Hell is the fifteenth studio album by Canadian heavy metal band Anvil. It was released in 2013 on May 24 in Germany, May 27 in the rest of Europe, and May 28 in North America. The album was produced by Bob Marlette, who, according to frontman Steve "Lips" Kudlow, contributed a lot to songwriting and arrangements with his skills. All songwriting credits went to Lips and Robb Reiner alone. In some songs, Lips was inspired by his love of "heavy rock 'n' roll", which made him feel he "found his way home" to the time when they did their first record, Hard 'n' Heavy. It is the only Anvil album to feature bassist Sal Italiano.
Steven Barry "Lips" Kudlow is a Canadian musician, who is the guitarist and lead vocalist of the heavy metal band Anvil. He co-founded the band with drummer Robb Reiner in 1978, having played together since 1973.
Anvil Is Anvil is the sixteenth studio album by Canadian heavy metal band Anvil. It was produced by Martin Pfeiffer and was released on February 26, 2016. It is the first Anvil album to feature bassist Chris Robertson.
Pounding the Pavement is the seventeenth studio album by Canadian heavy metal band Anvil. It was released on January 19, 2018, through Steamhammer.
Legal at Last is the eighteenth studio album by Canadian heavy metal band Anvil. It was released on February 14, 2020, through AFM Records.
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