Anvil - 'This Is Thirteen'

Legendary Canadian power metallers Anvil cap an improbable run back into the spotlight with their long-in-limbo thirteenth album.

The feelgood metal story of 2009 is undeniably Anvil. Even if you didn’t grow up with Metal on Metal, Forged in Fire and Strength of Steel stacked in your album collection, you have to cheer this band following the out-of-nowhere success of their sensitive bio film This is Anvil! The Story of Anvil. The film itself is nostalgic and heartfelt even as cleverly disguised promo for Anvil’s latest album This is Thirteen.

Even when Anvil turned back to a dominantly thrash base on their Plugged in Permanent and Speed of Sound albums, Steve “Lips” Kudlow and his shotgun rider Robb Reiner were relegated to an undistinguished rank of forgotten moshers. Sad, considering many bands took influence from this group in their own formative years, Metallica being one, whom you can see testifying in Anvil’s film.

This is Thirteen is both Anvil’s comeuppance and reclamation. It is not the album to propel them to the stratospheric heights they briefly enjoyed in the early-to-mid eighties. Then again, not very many heavy metal albums in this day and age will, either.

This is Thirteen capitalizes on the surprising success of Anvil’s film as Lips on the boys (recently pared down to a trio) go for broke with their trusted eighties helmsman Chris Tsangrides nurturing them to form. Nowhere near as aloof as their 2005 album Back to Basics, this album is well-focused and it lives up the excitable hype motivating these guys into the offices of uninterested record execs and cheating Euro club owners.

At times Anvil are the same ‘ol Canucknuckleheads they ever were on This is Thirteen, even when trying to make a point with “Big Business,” a tune slightly resembling their breakout comedy hit, “Mad Dog.” Other times, Anvil throws down with “Should’A Would’A Could’A,” “Ready to Fight,” “Bombs Away,” “Feed the Greed,” “Game Over” and “Worry.”

While the Mexican standoff “Axe to Grind” is fun in theory, it shambles a bit too loosely, while “Burning Bridges” rides along a tough riff yet suffers slightly from timing issues. On the flipside, “American Refugee” is one of This is Thirteen’s statement tracks, a riotous offspring of “Straight Between the Eyes” from Strength of Steel. “Room #9” accordingly dials in and hammers with refreshed vigor.

This is Thirteen, the album according to their own movie nobody wanted, makes nearly as much a fiery splash as their celluloid spread like wildfire in independent art houses and movie theaters this year. Lips’ vocals are mostly on-point and his guitar solos are simply fabulous. Robb Reiner reliably cements Anvil’s pummeling tracks while bassist Glenn Five fills out their meaty crush. Evidence of all collected on “Thumb Hang.”

Not that Anvil ever reached the same plateau of Rainbow, Iron Maiden or even Saxon, once you’ve seen their film and listened to their new tunes, you’ll want to root for these guys, whether it leads them to a prolonged career or a bittersweet farewell.