Anvil

I couldn't tell you when I first saw the Anvil movie, but I know I was very young. 10 or 11 possibly? This movie served as my introduction to the Canadian metal powerhouse and I had been wanting to see them ever since. Last Saturday, I finally got my chance.

The evening began with local acts Comfort Scarcity and Scars of Armageddon. Comfort Scarcity is actually from northern Indiana, but close enough. They play a solid brand of sleazy hard rock and did a good job kicking the festivities off. I could see them sharing the stage with any number of classic 80s hard rock and metal acts. Scars of Armageddon is a power metal group that has been around for about a decade if I'm correct. My girlfriend who was in town for spring break really enjoyed them. I should probably listen to them more. They only played about a half hour, but their music was reminiscent of early Queensrÿche.

The first band up on the touring package was a symphonic metal band called Graveshadow. Now I've always hated that genre, so i had a pretty good feeling I was going to hate these guys (and girl) too. My gut proved me right. The one thing that was different about this band however was instead of sounding like a knockoff Nightwish like so most symphonic metal acts, this band sounded like Arch Enemy (another band I hate) but with symphonic elements. Uhhhh...next!

Night Demon!!! I last saw them opening up for Ghoul in August. Their throwback sound got heads banging and fists pumping. They played slightly shorter than they did the first time I saw them, but still managed to bring the classic metal fury that defines their sound. Night Demon wears their influences on their sleeves, but at the same time manages not to sound like a ripoff/clone band. They will be keeping the true metal spirit alive for many years to come!

Finally, it was time for Anvil! The show began with Lips in the crowd playing "March of the Crabs". Driving the crowd wild, he then jumped on stage and the band proceeded to pummel the audience with "666". What followed was a brilliant set of classics and new songs which are bound to become classics. "Winged Assassins", "Oooh Baby", and "Metal on Metal"? Check, check, and check! Not to mention, "Mothra" complete with a vibrator solo!!!! Anvil is Anvil and Anvil is metal!!!