ANVIL - HARD 'N' HEAVY

NOT THAT HARD 'N' HEAVY.

For the longest time I've decided not to include a band like Anvil on the site because they were not enough thrash metal to be included. But since I decided to include other genres than thrash on the site it was time to start reviewing some Anvil albums.

Anvil were formed in the late seventies in Toronto and Hard 'n' Heavy is their first full-length record. It was released through Attic Records in 1981. Hard 'n' Heavy was actually first released not as an Anvil record but as a Lips record. Which was the name of the band before they changed it to Anvil in 1981.

I would say that it was on their second record Metal on Metal where Anvil started writing faster and heavier songs that would inspire bands like Slayer and Metallica.

So this is more of a straight up classic heavy metal record.

The album has a few hits like the two catchy rockers School Love and AC/DC, or the faster Bedroom Game. Anvil also recorded a cover of Rolling Stones Paint it Black, originally from 1966.

When it comes to the lyrics and music Anvil wasn't really there yet. Sure Hard 'n' Heavy is amongst their most classic material but the band progressed quite a lot during the following year. The lyrics are kind of dorky with lots of sexual themes or just about getting laid, Naming a song Hot Child wouldn't fly these days, that's for sure. The music on the other hand is more interesting, cool riffs but the drumming from Robb Reiner impressed me the most here. Following the release of Hard 'n' Heavy, Lemmy asked Steve 'Lips' Kudlow if he would be interested in joining Motörhead as a replacement for ''Fast'' Eddie Clarke, but Lips declined and Anvil went on and created a legacy of their own.

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