Anvil: The Story of Anvil…..Spinal Saps

During the first five minutes of Anvil: The Story of Anvil you would be forgiven for thinking this is another mockumentary about a fictitious rock band. The film opens with some of heavy rock’s biggest names; Slash (Guns n Roses), Lars Ulrich (Metallica), Lemmy (Motorhead) and Scott Ian (Anthrax) are all on hand, praising the genius of a rock band called Anvil.

After expecting it all to be a joke, we soon learn that Anvil is an all-too-real aging Canadian heavy metal band who enjoyed very fleeting success in the 80′s, playing alongside the likes of Whitesnake and Bon Jovi.

While they watched their contemporaries go on to sell millions of albums, poor old Anvil faded into virtual obscurity.

We catch up with the band’s two founding members, Steve “Lips” Kudlow and Robb Reiner (no, not the Harry Met Sally guy, you fools) in their Canadian hometown, both in their 50′s and working two-bit jobs just trying to support their families and get by in life. While their popularity (and hairlines) may have receded, their dreams of becoming rock stars never did, as they have continued to keep the mighty Anvil active, playing any gigs they can get, from empty bars to friends weddings.

The journey we are taken on in Anvil: The Story of Anvil is utterly compelling. At first we don’t know whether to pity them or praise them, but as the camera follows Anvil on an ill-fated (and hilarious) European tour and the tension-filled recording of their 13th album, it really becomes impossible to not love these guys.

Anvil are the “real life” Spinal Tap and the similarities to that classic mockumentary are at once disturbing and riotously funny.

What’s more, Anvil: The Story of Anvil is a surprisingly heart-warming documentary that manages to elicit a variety of emotions. We laugh at some of the things they say, we cringe as we watch them play to empty bars, and we cheer when they receive some much-needed recognition.

Their stage act may be dated, their music questionable, but Anvil’s passion is undeniable. These are guys like you and me trying to find their place in the world. They are good at what they do and they just want to keep on doing it. That’s to be admired.

This is a truly great documentary and will wedge nicely into your DVD collection next to your copy of “This Is Spinal Tap” and “The Decline of the Western Civilization Part II: The Metal Years”.

Good luck to you Anvil, you may never sell a million records but your documentary is destined to be a cult classic.