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Anvil – Juggernaut of Justice
Anvil – Juggernaut Of Justice (2011, The End Records)
1. “Juggernaut of Justice” … 3:40
2. “When Hell Breaks Loose” … 3:11
3. “New Orleans Voo Doo” … 4:25
4. “On Fire” … 3:23
5. “Fuken Eh!” … 4:08
6. “Turn It Up” … 2:57
7. “This Ride” … 3:12
8. “Not Afraid” … 3:44
9. “Conspiracy” … 3:20
10. “Running” … 2:54
11. “Paranormal” … 7:04
12. “Swing Thing” … 3:00
Bonus Tracks
13. “The Station” … 3:24
14. “Tonight Is Coming” … 3:44
Band:
Steve “Lips” Kudlow – Vocals, Guitar
Glenn Five – Bass, Vocals
Robb Reiner – Drums
Producer: Bob Marlette
This is more like it! Anvil always sounds like Anvil but I was treading lightly going into this album after the solid but plodding This Is Thirteen. The band has obviously been re-energized since the release of “Anvil: The Story of Anvil” and this is their first new studio release since that documentary came out. With Bob Marlette producing, the band has turned in one of their best sounding albums yet and the entire band really shows just how talented they are. Lips turns in some great work on guitar and Robb is relentless on the drums. Even Glenn Five gets to shine a bit — he handles lead vocals on “This Ride” (and does a darn good job too).
Look, reviewing another Anvil release is like reviewing another Motorhead or AC/DC album. If you like these band, you’ll like each and every album they put out. But Juggernaut of Justice is definitely a step above This Is Thirteen. The album seems to be more aggressive and faster than the last effort. It just goes to show that 30 years on Anvil is still a powerful and relevant heavy metal machine that plays in that fast and furious speed & thrash metal style that to me is best summed up as good ol’ heavy metal! The one time the band does go outside the box on this album is with “Swing Thing”, a surprisingly good instrumental jazz metal number. When I initially heard about the track, I thought it was going to be pretty lame but it actually works pretty well and is one of my favorite tracks off the album.
At fourteen tracks, I thought the album was a bit long but apparently “The Station” and “Tonight Is Coming” are bonus tracks. My copy is apparently a “limited edition” and these two songs are not on the album proper for a reason — they are standard brain dead heavy metal numbers (“tonight is coming/all day long!”).
Highlights: “Juggernaut of Justice”, “When Hell Breaks Loose”, “New Orleans Voo Doo”, “Fuken Eh!”, “Conspiracy”, “Swing Thing”
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ANVIL – Hard ‘N’ Heavy
Anvil – Hard ‘N’ Heavy (2002, Unidisc Music/Attic Records – Canada Import)
Original Release: 1981, Attic Records
1. “School Love” … 3:15
2. “AC/DC” … 4:41
3. “At the Apartment” … 3:21
4. “I Want You Both (With Me)” … 3:21
5. “Bedroom Game” … 4:01
6. “Oooh Baby” … 2:56
7. “Paint It Black” … 3:55
8. “Oh Jane” … 4:53
9. “Hot Child” … 4:10
10. “Bondage” … 4:31
Band:
Steve “Lips” Kudlow – Lead Vocals, Lead Guitar
Dave Allison – Guitar, Lead Vocals (“I Want You Both (With Me)”, “Bedroom Game”)
Ian Dickson – Bass
Robb Reiner – Drums
Producer: Anvil
Originally issued under the band’s original name, Lips, this is a great debut that mixes traditional heavy metal, New Wave of British Heavy Metal, thrash and speed. I picked this album up along with the 2009 reissue of This Is Thirteen at FYE. I’m glad some of the early Anvil albums are finding their way to America again because in previous years the imports were costing a good chunk of change as far as I was concerned. Now they’re only about $15 and if you can find a $15 album at FYE, you’ve pretty much stuck gold and will wonder if the price is a typo.
I had hear a number of songs over the years but This Is Thirteen was my first in-depth introduction to the band and their debut is a far cry from that release. That album was a bit more lyrically somber and mature but Hard ‘N’ Heavy (sporting one of the most METAL album covers of all-time) features the band sowing their oats with all kinds of horny & juvenile lyrics and song titles. I for one could not be more pleased!
I classify Anvil as pure heavy metal, but thrash and speed metal also play a part in their sound and its refreshing to hear that style of music coupled with lyrics base solely on sex instead of the usual death, politics, religion, end of the world lyrics that the genre typically deals with. What can I say? I’m a hair metal guy at heart and the best way to win me over with lyrics is to talk about a girl or two (together at once).
If you guessed “Paint It Black” is a Rolling Stones cover, you guessed right. Seems it is a cover favorite in the world of metal. Anvil’s take is not really a good cover, in my opinion. Maybe it’s the production. Glenn Tipton and W.A.S.P. did far superior versions of this song. Speaking of covers, I think Anvil owes royalties to UFO for “Hot Child” which sounds quite a bit like “Rock Bottom”.
How could a debut this good in a decade so hellbent for metal not propel these guys to international stardom?
Highlights: “School Love”, “AC/DC”, “At the Apartment”, “I Want You Both (With Me)”, “Bedroom Game”, “Hot Child”
ANVIL – This Is Thirteen
Anvil – This Is Thirteen (2009, VH1 Classic Records)
Original Release: 2007, self-released
1. “This Is Thirteen” … 6:40
2. “Bombs Away” … 3:28
3. “Burning Bridges” … 5:52
4. “Ready to Fight” … 4:14
5. “Flying Blind” … 3:11
6. “Room #9″ … 3:50
7. “Axe to Grind” … 4:33
8. “Feed the Greed” … 3:52
9. “Big Business” .. 3:26
10. “Should’a Would’a Could’a” … 3:06
11. “Worry” … 3:15
12. “Game Over” … 2:58
13. “American Refugee” … 2:36
BONUS TRACK
14. Thumb Hang … 5:59
Band:
Steve “Lips” Kudlow – Vocals, Lead Guitar
Glenn Five – Bass
Robb Reiner – Drums
Producer: Chris Tsangarides
Thanks to the popularity and acclaim of the documentary Anvil! The Story of Anvil, VH1 Classic decided to go into business with the band and give us a re-release of this 2007 album. In addition to that, VH1 Classic also premiered the movie on television and will be sponsoring an “Anvil experience” tour that features a showing of the movie and then the band taking the stage to play. As if that wasn’t enough, the success of the documentary got them a few gigs playing stadium shows opening for AC/DC! Let me tell you, “the story of Anvil” is nothing short of amazing and inspiring, but I’ll leave that to the documentary to display.
Anvil is a band I’ve wanted to check out for YEARS, way before there was ever any word about the documentary. The early albums had been on my wish list for a long time, but I never picked them up because they were usually high priced. I’ll admit that the movie gave me the final push to check out this album and their debut Hard ‘N’ Heavy.
This album is a great throwback to the bands early albums. I don’t know how the band sounded in recent years, but this album is a stripped down pure old school heavy metal album that’s rooted in thrash and NWOBHM. Part of this is probably attributed to the great Chris Tsangarides, who worked with the band in ’85 on their half previously unreleased/half compilation album Backwaxed. Chris has produced classic albums for Judas Priest, Black Sabbath, Thin Lizzy, Gary Moore, Yngwie Malmsteen and Y&T.
The album retains its heaviness all the way though, but I think the album is a bit slow and plodding at times. It doesn’t matter though because even if things fell apart tomorrow and Anvil never made another album, they could at least go out with their heads held high. This Is Thirteen is a real treat for old school metal heads, you don’t hear many albums like this anymore and from what I’ve heard longtime Anvil fans say — this album is a worthy successor to the early Anvil classics.
“Thumb Hang”, an old but never before recorded Anvil song, was finally recorded as a bonus track for this VH1 Classic reissue.
Highlights: “This Is Thirteen”, “Bombs Away”, “Burning Bridges”, “Ready to Fight”, “Axe to Grind”, “Worry”
