Anvil! The Story of Anvil

[ABlairican Pie]

Last night I saw a movie that's been getting some rave reviews all over, Anvil! The Story of Anvil, a documentary of a heavy metal band that has refused to give up even after nearly thirty years of looking for that big break.
The Canadian metal band began in the late 70's and released their first album
in 1981, with their biggest album, 'Metal on Metal', released the next year. The title track became a sort of anthem, and the band became an influence
on bands such as Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer, Anthrax, and others. For a very short time, between 1982 and 1984, it seemed like the band would break
through and become a major success, but it was never meant to be. Changes in music in the latter half of the decade sidelined them, as one of the bands they opened for, Bon Jovi, spawned the hair metal revolution, while
Metallica, one of the the bands they influenced, took metal in the opposite, faster direction in the rising underground. The band went from opening for thousands to playing small dives where they were lucky just to get a handful of fans. Still, they played on.

The movie revolves around the core members, vocalist/guitarist Steven "Lips" Kudlow and drummer Robb Reiner (no relation to the actor/director who played "Meathead" Stivic on All In the Family and director Marty DeBergi of 'This Is Spinal Tap' fame), who carry on their rock and roll dream with dogged persistence. Though the band seems like a real-life Spinal Tap (and Spinal Tap references abound), there is a serious, touching tragicomical side to their flagging careers. For decades, they plow on, waiting for their moment to come back to them that was denied them years ago, and their longsuffering wives, siblings and family members wait and wish them the best--though at times their patience is severely strained. The band, whose members are mostly in their 50's and no longer in their youthful twenties, provide for their families by working menial jobs, while their faux "manager", a Slavic-speaking woman who speaks in fractured English, organizes a small tour of Europe, still a major hotbed of metal unlike the rest of North America. Through much mismanagement and disasters such as lack of promotion and not being paid for shows, the band struggles through playing dives where adoring fans show up and rock out.

The band contends with butt-kissing music industry types at the record labels
who ultimately show a lack of interest in the band's latest album, 'This Is Thirteen', citing that the "musical landscape has changed" and there doesn't seem to be, at least to the industry bureaucrats, much interest in their kind of "old school" metal. The band even gets produced by notable producer Chris "CT" Tsangarides, who helped them back in the 80's on one album. Tensions erupt between "Lips" and Robb over various issues. The strong theme of the film deals with the band's belief in themselves and the power of their music, in spite of insurmountable odds and faltering faith of those around them. It deals with the perplexing fears of many pursuing a rock and roll and metal career, and their hopes of some measure of success. As long as they continue to rock, that's what's important to them. This movie should give them much needed exposure as their style of metal has made a huge resurgence in the past few years. Big names such as Lars Ulrich of Metallica,
Lemmy of Motorhead, Slash of Guns N' Roses and Velvet Revolver, and Tom Araya of Slayer all make appearances, singing their praises.