Artist: Anvil
Title: Anvil is Anvil
Genre: Heavy Metal
Release Date: 26th February 2016
Label: Steamhammer / SVP
Album Review
Canadian Heavy/ Thrash Metal veterans ANVIL should be well-known to any fan of the genre. Active since 1981, the band has released an astounding number of 15 records over the years. The production and release of number 16, ‘Anvil is Anvil’, was supported by a crowd-funding campaign. The first track, ‘Daggers and Rum’, sounds like ANVIL indeed drank a little too much of rum - relatively obvious and over-the-top pirate themes and chants dominate the track, which sounds rather cliché-driven and slightly annoying. Luckily, the pirate-theme is not thematized for the rest of the album, although the first track invites to stop listening to the album altogether.
That being said, ‘Anvil is Anvil’ does not manage to live up to the early pieces like the strong ‘Metal on Metal’ (1982), since the song-structures appear as very repetitive and rather focused on sing-along and catchy choruses. These, at times, sound quite entertaining but also relatively expectable. Although some riff ideas come off solidly and are able to ring a bell of the earlier ANVIL, the whole album has its up and downs and overall fails to convey any lasting impression. Sorry.
Tracklist
01. Daggers And Rum - 5:26
02. Up, Down, Sideways - 3:19
03. Gun Control - 4:22
04. Die For A Lie - 3:17
05. Runaway Train - 3:40
06. Zombie Apocalypse - 4:22
07. It’s Your Move - 3:30
08. Ambushed - 3:22
09. Fire On The Highway - 4:35
10. Run Like Hell - 3:07
11. Forgive Don`t Forget - 2:40
12. Never Going To Stop - 4:12 (bonus track)
Line-up
Steve “Lips” Kudlow - Guitars, Vocals
Robb Reiner - Drums
Chris Robertson - Bass
Website
https://www.facebook.com/anvilmetal
Cover Picture
Rating
Music: 4
Sound: 7
Total: 5.5 / 10
