Anvil Documentary Is Band's Lucky Break

Keith Carman (CHARTattack)

03/06/2009 2:47pm

Sometimes it's hard to believe in the fairytale ending where protagonists receive their due and all is apparently righted in a world plagued with wrongs.

In the case of Anvil! The Story Of Anvil, it just might be that sometimes dreams do come true. Surprisingly, most of that confirmation comes after the film, not moments before the closing credits.

While Anvil! The Story Of Anvil closes on a high note, with a little digging we see that this eye-opening documentary has generated what Anvil have been sorely hunting for decades: a second chance.

How did that come about? As we watch this feature-length documentary, the 30-year saga of Toronto-based metal stalwarts Anvil unfolds. The band are heralded for having a major stake in forging the world of heavy metal and founding elements that are used to this day via seminal early '80s albums such as Metal On Metal and Hard 'N' Heavy. Anthrax, Motorhead, Slash, Metallica and Slayer all boast Anvil's importance on influencing their sound and styles.

Unfortunately, though, we also see how this band have dramatically fallen. Anvil once performed to 60,000-strong crowds in their when the members were in their twenties. But the reality of Anvil in their fifties takes hold as we see them in dead-end jobs with a lack of promotion on brutal tours playing concerts attended by eight people.

But the music still survives. Guitarist/vocalist Steve "Lips" Kudlow, drummer Robb Reiner and 13-year Anvil bassist Glenn "G5" Five are on top of their game and still rage undaunted. In fact, they're better. Their songs are tighter and more aggressive, and the band are seemingly flawless.

It's this dichotomy of Anvil reaching their artistic best, yet professional worst, that drives Anvil! The Story Of Anvil. We're compelled to see the madness of the trio's situation and their seemingly endless spirit combined with the complete lack of a lucky break. And still, they've endured for more than a quarter of a century.

Anvil! The Story Of Anvil is realistic, depressing, enlightening and shockingly rewarding. It truly is, as filmmaker Michael Moore noted, one of the best documentaries to be released in ages.