the story of anvil
There's a documentary doing the rounds that almost all film fans and critics have praised without hesitation. As happens with many others, this particular film will probably never reach local cinema screens or video clubs. A film that thanks to the associations that look after authors' rights and the institutions that support said associations we would never get the chance to see. Yep, one of those films. We'd never get the chance to see it if it weren't for one of the invisible who download these things from the net. The year is 1984. Heavy metal bands with peroxide blond hair, crates of hair lacquer and color spandex pants stand on the prow of the Titanic with open arms and could bellow "I'm the King of The World" with absolutely no sense of the ridiculous. Smack bang in the middle of the golden age of heavy metal, a bunch of bands decide to embark on a world tour together; Scorpions, Bon Jovi, Whitesnake, Metallica and... Anvil. These days, all of these are huge mainstream stars. They all have huge pads with massive swimming pools in the valley ́s of L.A., they all have their morning meditation sessions with their private instructors and they only eat and drink soy-bean based products and they are all strident followers of macrobiotics.... all of them except for the members of Anvil.
This Canadian band where amongst the forerunners of speed metal. Heavy and fast. Abrasive melodies and speed, they were fine musicians. The solos were as sharp as an axe. Their live shows were something to behold as well. Tried and trusted sons of metal at the end of the day. So, where did it all go wrong for them? This documentary, a huge success at the Sundance and New York Film Festivals sheds some light on the conundrum: tours that were never promoted, lousy record production, a weird manager by the name of Tiziana Arrigoni who was like something out of a Tim Burton story... There are many reasons given that help understand their failure, but there is one reason that stands head and shoulders above the rest: Anvil never achieved the success of their counterparts because the group was never willing to put success before the relationship between the members of the band.
Anvil is more than just a band. It's a group of friends who love their music and would never betray each other. An exception indeed in the world of music today.
They would sleep in bus and train stations of towns they never even knew existed, playing in tiny holes, they would chase after promoters who didn't pay them for their gigs... this story is very funny in parts. The spectator will feel pity in others. The Story of Anvil is also the story of a pathetic bunch of losers. But above all, it's a story of rock 'n' roll. An ode to the story of loyalty and friendship between a long- haired bunch of black t-shirt-wearing friends.
This Canadian band where amongst the forerunners of speed metal. Heavy and fast. Abrasive melodies and speed, they were fine musicians. The solos were as sharp as an axe. Their live shows were something to behold as well. Tried and trusted sons of metal at the end of the day. So, where did it all go wrong for them? This documentary, a huge success at the Sundance and New York Film Festivals sheds some light on the conundrum: tours that were never promoted, lousy record production, a weird manager by the name of Tiziana Arrigoni who was like something out of a Tim Burton story... There are many reasons given that help understand their failure, but there is one reason that stands head and shoulders above the rest: Anvil never achieved the success of their counterparts because the group was never willing to put success before the relationship between the members of the band.
Anvil is more than just a band. It's a group of friends who love their music and would never betray each other. An exception indeed in the world of music today.
They would sleep in bus and train stations of towns they never even knew existed, playing in tiny holes, they would chase after promoters who didn't pay them for their gigs... this story is very funny in parts. The spectator will feel pity in others. The Story of Anvil is also the story of a pathetic bunch of losers. But above all, it's a story of rock 'n' roll. An ode to the story of loyalty and friendship between a long- haired bunch of black t-shirt-wearing friends.
