To be quite honest, I have never been a fan of the documentary. I can appreciate it, enjoy its splendor, but when it comes time to choose a movie to watch, my vote 99 percent of the time will go to a motion picture that carries me into lands of a reality that I, as an active viewer, know to be fake.

And then a film comes along that manages to completely alter my perception of and appreciation for documentary filmmaking.

Anvil! The Story of Anvil follows the Canadian band co-founded in 1973 by Steve “Lips” Kudlow and Robb Reiner. Pegged as the “Fathers of Power Metal” and “Godfathers of Thrash Metal” by peers and fans alike, the band did not reach the same level of success as Metallica, Slayer and Anthrax, groups they directly influenced.

The glitz and glamour of the rock star life evaded the careers of Lips and Robb. The former is currently a middleman for elementary school cafeterias, transporting food from the provider to the school. The latter is a renaissance artist who spends his days filling his home with the art he paints and the melodies emanating from his drum set.

When the boys have the chance to tour rock festivals in Europe, they jump at the opportunity. However, their tour manager, Tiziana, turns their sweet return to heavy metal into a hot, unsuccessful mess.

The band returns to their normal, “un-cool” life in Canada. Still writing and performing locally, Lips and Robb, with the help of their former producer, Chris Tsangarides, record their 13th album.

After several months in the recording studio, This Is Thirteen is ready to hit Virgin Records stores all over the world. The conflict this time is finding a label. Hollywood isn’t too kind to Anvil, but their spirits and pride remain untouched.

The Story of Anvil is a heartwarming look into the attempted resurrection of a band that has remained intact for over 30 years. From the opening scene that shows Anvil in their heyday performing to screaming crowds in Japan, the film does a particularly good job of identifying the individual personalities of the key players. Lips is the eccentric, emotional guitarist and lead singer, while Reiner is the more reserved, rational drummer. Together, their chemistry is hypnotic.

You may never have heard of them and you might not enjoy their music, but by the end of this film, you’ll be an Anvil groupie, too.

Grade: B+



Anvil! The Story of Anvil releases in select theaters April 10.