Anvil prove metal has no age limit

Metal’s most under-appreciated band, Anvil, might not be the first act that pops in your head when thinking of metal juggernauts. But don’t pity their undervalued status too much, because failing to become a metal heavyweight like Metallica and Slayer hasn’t had that much of an effect on the Canadian duo. Sure, they haven’t sold millions of records like the bands they have inspired, but after 30 grueling years of trying to make it big, longtime friends Steve “Lips” Kudlow (vocals/guitar) and Robb Reiner (drums) are just grateful to still be playing music.  

“I can’t believe this [expletive]; all the hairs are standing up on my arms. It took us 30 years but we’re here” Kudlow said, expressing his gratitude towards the enormous turnout for their Thursday night show at the House of Blues in Downtown Disney, Anaheim.

After seeing Anvil live, one might marvel at their unsuccessful back-story. Not only is their recorded work the blueprint for speed metal, the band also knows how to brew up the perfect ingredients for an energetic and cinematic rock show: thrashy guitar licks that make way for unbelievably fast solos, drum fills and double bass kicks that give Lars Ulrich a run for his money, and most importantly, the headbanging anthems that provide a hangover the next morning.

So even before they played a single note on Thursday night, it was clear that the metal heads in attendance were ready for the Toronto-based band to turn the House of Blues into the House of Metal. And that’s exactly what they got, as their prodding and yelping was finally greeted with the blistering one-two-punch of “March of the Crabs” and “666.”

For the entire set, Kudlow displayed a sense of showmanship that was one part cheesy (he wore a sleeveless self-promoting Anvil t-shirt) and one part theatrical (the usage of a golden dildo for a guitar solo). With the dildo being a staple of their live performances, the incongruous object was able to accomplish its goal of arousing the crowd with metal mania during “Forged in Fire.” This thrill lasted for the entire set as Kudlow commented, “What a bunch of crazy mother-[expletive] we have here,” on the crowd’s enthusiasm.

The dildo wasn’t the only attributing factor to the show’s rowdiness though. Reiner’s jaw- dropping performance behind his drum kit during “Thumb Hang,” “School Love,” and “Winged Assassins” was really a spectacle to see live and basically stole the spotlight from his band mates.

Later, the show commenced with the much anticipated “Metal on Metal.” After an hour-and-a-half performance, the duo proved that they’re a band that should’ve been taken serious years ago, because while their hair might be thinning and their skin might be sagging, they still have enough charisma and endurance to rival any of metal’s youth.