The Toronto “Mad Dogs” may be heading into their early twilight years, but that didn’t stop the young pups from lining the stage, when Canadian metal-pounders ANVIL dropped into Regina’s Cultural Exchange on Wednesday night. The confusion with the entry time (eight o’clock instead of the ticketed seven) only added to anticipation, as snippets of Rob Reiner’s hammering behemothness & wailing guitar wars could be heard through the steel-plated door. Anvil is a worldwide anomaly & have been notarized for their hardened influence on many thrash bands, including those as large as “THE BIG FOUR”. Although the eighties seen a fair shake at fame, later years were invariably cruel, almost leaving the group “starved & dead” in a disbanding musical existence. That was until 2009, & the industry-altering rockumentary “ANVIL: The Story Of Anvil” was released. The reality-based excursion (directed & produced by Sacha Gervasi) would capitalize on an epic tale of TWO life-long friends, Steve “Lips” Kudlow & Robb Reiner, with a bond that was “Forged In Fire” & enough sweltering courage to survive even the most harrowing moments of a musician’s career. It was the publicized jolt that would reunite Anvil with the masses, putting them on tour with the likes of AC/DC, & bridged an enormous gap with a whole NEW generation of metalheads.
“March Of The Crabs” seen Steve Kudlow approachably strut straight through the crowd, only two minutes into the set, before heading back to the stage to break into a thundering “6-6-6” revival. The impassioned, humorous, story-telling rock relic is exactly what you’d expect…nothing more, nothing less…a dependability that burnishes itself directly into their songs. Since 1973, Anvil’s been pairing dark “Sabbathesk” drones with lightning-powered leads, & lyrics that almost ALWAYS have a definitive source of true-to-life regales. It was inspiring to watch each track carefully served up, from their wide array of fourteen albums, & onlookers felt as if they had sustained a life of rock‘n’roll excess themselves. Robb Reiner is an absolute MONSTER behind the kit & should be hailed as one of the greatest drummers of all time! His massive cymbal explosions curtail the days of “BIG ARENA” sound, matched by a fierce plummeting on the toms, & wicked double-pedalling drive…which, at some points, had the bricks quaking on their mortar. Moving from a rhythm-backed foursome to a THREE-PIECE unit has been flawlessly executed, Glenn Five exhibiting ample ability & striking showmanship in the realms of his bass.
The performance brought back thoughts of Motorhead, where it’s distinctly about RAW instrumentation & there’s little room for any error or “fluff”. No wonder Kudlow was hot under Lemmy Kilmister’s radar, & the strong surveillance of Ozzy Osbourne, back in the heyday…two iconic opportunities that he’s still not ashamed to have turned away for the sake of pounding with Anvil. An abundance of technique & “sexual innuendo” bleeds from his guitar – & yes, I’m referring to the shiny d*ldo that always makes it’s historic appearance. However you want to judge them, there’s no denying the mesmerizing continuity each member unfolds…playing tighter than a groupie’s corset, with astonishing precision & exactitude through every rip‘n’tear. Numbers from the new album JUGGERNAUT OF JUSTICE were well-received, along with a mix of classics…like the sassy “School Love”, dredging “This Is Thirteen”, & timeless tribute to Ronnie James Dio in “Thumb Hang”. The WHITE RHINO pelted it’s way through the small venue during a stellar four-minute Reiner rampage, where the veteran displayed cataclysmic grandeur that would impale every drummer’s style…including those of the more famous. The hard & heavy wildfire closed down with the band’s greatest hit “METAL ON METAL” & a striking encore of “Jackhammer”, followed by 2011’s “Running” from Juggernaut Of Justice.
If ANVIL were out to prove that they are the “SPIRIT” of the metal genre, & their resume is worth any amount of money…THEY SUCCESSFULLY ACHIEVED IT!!! A band rich in anthemic delivery that should be playing on the GREATEST of stages…Regina could only be so lucky, witnessing this force on such intimate ground. Over 400,000 people, last year alone, seen Anvil play live…88 MILLION have watched the documentary…they’ve recently finished a full-scale tour of Europe & South America…& have upcoming dates with the legendary ALICE COOPER. Yes, the infatuation is far from over with this 33 YEAR CANADIAN POWER-TRIO. “I don’t like to talk to anybody before a show.” Kudlow tells me, with tired expression after his thundering display. “I love all of this,” he points to the crowd, “it’s what I live for – but that’s MY TIME (before a show)…to get into THE ZONE.” Anvil hammers hard when they hit the stage, earning their “right to passage” & fuelling a future for all those who ever wanted to learn what HEAVY METAL is really all about. As for the haters who criticize them for writing the biggest “FEEL SORRY FOR US” movie of all time, I say…never judge a book by it’s cover, see a band LIVE before you “diss”, & until YOU’RE having breakfast with Ronnie James Dio or starring in YOUR OWN ground-breaking film…
…let “THE ANVIL” fall.
*** Anvil can be found on The End Records & booked through Pinnacle Entertainment. Please visit their website ANVILMETAL.COM for more information, or contact “Sister D” at AMPU666@yahoo.com to become an official member of the Anvil Metal Pounders Union.
Special mention goes out to Regina rockers HELION for bringing “Old Skool” back, especially drummer Dean Davis who took a whack to the head during their opener. They ripped through a montage of Priestlike spins, paying homage to Iron Maiden with a fantastic cover of “Phantom Of The Opera” – NO SMALL TASK!!! With an all-original album planned for early next year, you can keep tabs on what this Saskatchewan band is up to at “HELION GROUP” on Facebook.
BPatoine – May, 2011
