CD review ANVIL ‘Legal at Last’

What to tell you about a new album of Canadian Metal pioneers Anvil? If you haven’t lived under a rock over the last decades you’re familiar with the trio from maple-leaf country and even-though you might heard very little of Anvil’s music you at least saw the documentary ‘The Story of Anvil’, I guess.

Lips, Robb and Chris are one of the most underrated band in Heavy Metal. Belonging to the pioneers of Metal in the ’80s, various circumstances never provided them with a real break-though. What didn’t break though during all the years is their spirit and their love to Heavy Metal. This made them going through the hard times that fortunately became a bit better again over the last years.

Since a few years the lights of life shine a bit brighter again, with the trio releasing new albums on a regular base and being on tour for many days every year. The guys have been busy lately with recording a next album and Anvil’s newest delivery will leave the studio on February 14th and it carries the name of ‘Legal at Last.

What you get with this longplayer is 100% Anvil. The guys didn’t experiment a lot and focussed on what they do best, writing anthemic Metal songs being the perfect soundtrack for headbanging and beer-drinking. There is no chance to place the needle on a wrong spot when it comes to these 12 songs. The uptempo ‘Chemtrails’, ‘Talking to the Wall’ with its galloping beat and slowly crawling ‘Plastic in Paradise’ are handcrafted Metal songs, no frills and just thrills. However, Anvil is best when they shift gears and they do this with ‘Food for the Vulture’. The fast Metal anthem does a great job right away and the closer ‘No Time’ doesn’t reduce speed either.

‘Legal at Last’, that’s hot dogs and beer rather than champagne and caviar. If you like the first one, this album should become a part of your record collection.