ANVIL
ANVIL– “One and Only”
By Colonel Angus
ANVIL is an institution at this point. You can’t really be serious about your metal collection unless you have at least half of their catalogue. Every couple of years, ANVIL come out with a new record and in my opinion that is a cause for celebration. My history goes way back to a video called “Super Rock ’84 In Japan” where I first saw these Canadian metalers unleash their fury on the Japanese audience. While I thought some of their stage antic were goofy, the music sucked me in right away. I have been following this trio ever since and while not every record is essential, each one has its charm and worth a listen.
I thought their 2022 effort “Impact Is Imminent” was a great album and a return to form as I felt that the whole record was solid from start to finish. Some of their other material from the 2000s lacked the magic that was present on earlier works like “Metal on Metal” and “Forged in Fire” so I was hoping that they could continue with this new disk “One and Only”. Thankfully, whatever they have been doing (or not doing) is working because this new material is on par with their last release.
Things start off quite well with the title track which a great anthemic opener that contains a great chunky riff that will get your head banging right off the bat. While ANVIL has always stayed true to metal, they continue to add other things to their sound. To my recollection, “Feed Your Fantasy” is a new one for ANVIL as it has this swagger and almost boogie element to it that really works with their style. It is one of the singles off “One and Only” and I can see why. Its infectious chorus and shuffle make it a perfect contender for reaching a wider audience. The plodding “Heartbroken” also has a very BLACK SABBATH-ish style and while many bands owe their sound to that Birmingham crew, ANVIL has kind of stayed clear of that slow doom-laden genre of metal. Don’t get me wrong, it works and it is now another facet to the ANVIL sound.
If I have given the impression that the band are abandoning their “core” sound, let not your heart be troubled because there is plenty of old-school metal on offer here. “Truth is Dying”, “Rocking the World”, and “Run Away” all have that classic sound of their earlier albums. Along with those traditional metal tunes, they peppered the disk with some of their faster material like “Fight for Your Rights”, “Blind Rage”, and “Dead Man Shoes” with the latter containing this great MOTORHEAD vibe in the vocal delivery. While all the songs I mentioned previously are worthy of having the ANVIL name attached, “Gold and Diamonds” and “Condemned Liberty” are the standouts for me. The former has this tremendous groove and infectious chorus while the latter has this menacing riff that gives the whole track a foreboding feel. It has an almost ACCEPT-like sound to it that really works well and is a nice departure (albeit slight) from the rest of the material.
There are a dozen tracks on “One and Only” and I have to admit, like “Impact Is Imminent”, this record is another great addition to the ANVIL catalogue. It’s hard to believe that this is album number twenty and that they are able to still deliver the goods this late in their careers. Both Lips and Robb Reiner have been going at it since the early 80s and like a lot of artists with metal in their veins, they just keep going and going with no signs of stopping. Even Chris Robertson has been a part of the ANVILcamp for a decade (where has the time gone). While some so-called ANVIL fans will discount “One and Only” as being “just another” ANVIL record, they will be missing out on some fantastic music. This is very much an ANVIL record but with a couple of new surprises that should make both old and new fans happy.