Review of Anvil! The Story of Anvil (2008) by Louis E — 03 Dec 2009

Man, I thought my life was a struggle. Here's the thing, if you have a passion, if you just love doing something just for the sake of doing something, you could learn a lot by watching this biography.

This story revolves around two childhood friends who came together and started a band. As in most cases, when kids come together and start a band they might play for a while, do some cover tunes, play in some local gigs maybe if they're lucky.

Consequently, Life gets in the way (marriage, unplanned kids, lay offs and what not) and kids usually give up their rock star dreams. The guys in this movie are not those kids who gave up on their dreams.

Steve "Lips" Kudlow (singer and lead guitar) and Robb Reiner (Drummer) I've come to the conclusion are either the most passion filled, driven pair of individuals I've ever seen OR they are two psychologically scarred, extremely stubborn individuals who just got exremely lucky.

Here's the thing, trying to "make it" in the music business, I've heard, is a seires of dominos that have to fall in exactly the right way at exactly the right time and even then talent alone is not enough to make it "big.

" Unless a person is an American Idol winner, most musicians are not a stranger to struggling to have their stuff being heard. The guys in Anvil have been playing together for 30 years and, amazingly, has almost twenty albums all told.

Bands like Guns n' Roses and Metallica readily admit to stealing the look and style of Anvil. Anvil was Heavy Metal when there was no such thing as Heavy Metal. The problem is, Anvil never got the big break other bands got and have clawed and scratched their way into mediocrity.

It's just my opinion, but it looks like they had a series of bad management decisions and the fact they live in Canada (not the hotbed for rock star gods) probably have not helped them much. Anyway, just watching "Lips" Kudlow trying to maintain some sort of positive attitude while things are unravelling around him is so entertaining and, at the same time, heartbreaking.

..... It's like watchinig that dog who is so happy to just see his master but the master treats the dog like crap. Yet, the dog just keeps coming back happy and eager while being beat down time after time.

It's amazing to watch. By the way, I found out Anvil is currently on tour and the happy ending is under way I'm sure, no doubt, with the help of this documentary........Check this movie out if you have a passion; I'm sure you'll relate.