Movie Review: Anvil: The Story of Anvil

Sacha Gervasi's exceptional documentary elevated the Canadan band Anvil from the cut-out bins to the silver screen. Simply put, this is one of the best rock documentaries ever made, and deserves a place next to This is Spinal Tap and Penelope Spheeris' Decline and Fall of Western Civilization series.

The movie opens with several metal luminaries: Slash, Lemmy, Tom Araya, Lars Ulrich and others talking about the influence of Anvil and their early success with albums like Metal on Metal and Forged In Fire. Then, the film shifts from the band's triumphant appearance at a Japanese festival to the present day. Lead singer/guitarist Lips now works in a Toronto suburb as a children's caterer. Drummer Robb Reiner (no relation to the director) is a construction worker who paints Edward Hopper-esque landscapes in his spare time. Both are committed to their band, but at 50 years old with 12 albums under their belt, they are not sure about the futute of Anvil.

The movie hronicles the band's disastrous tour of Europe, (a particularly memorable scene involves a Prague promoter who refuses to pay them) their attempts to secure funding for a new record (This Is Thirteen) and the day-to-day struggles with being relegated to obscurity. Lips and Robb are naturals in front of the camera, at times funny and at times full of anger and frustration. They're natural movie stars, helped by the superb direction and editing of Gervasi, whose past work includes the very funny The Big Tease

The most poignant moments are when they fight amongst themselves, angst scenes that are better than anything you'll find on reality TV. The film is a saga of guts and determination even in the face of overwhelming odds, angry relatives and an uncaring record industry. And the music is pretty kick-ass too, a powerful blend of boogie and speed metal that has been a trademark of the Anvil sound since they dropped on us in the 1980s.

Anvil are currently touring to promote This Is Thirteen and are planning a new album, Juggernaut of Justice. Tour dates are as follows--you get to see the movie and then they come out and kick your ass for 90 minutes.

Tour dates and more information are available on the band's official website, AnvilMetal.com.