Anvil-One And Only-Album Review-Planetmosh

1978, fifteen years old listening to the Friday Rock Show on Radio 1 and a song called ‘School Love’ by Anvil comes on, immediately drawing my attention to the Ted Nugent influences from the guitar work by Steve ‘Lips’ Kudlow and I was hooked immediately. Fast forward to 1982 where I was front barrier at Donington Rock Festival, waiting for opening band Anvil to hit the stage, and those forty minutes have always stuck with me. Over the years I’ve been lucky to see, review and interview them many times over the years and 2024 sees them unleash their twentieth studio album One And Only, yet another album with a three word title via AFM Records, due for release on June 28th, 2024.

Formed in Toronto, Canada, this twelve song album is a glorious celebration of heavy metal, point proven by opening track ‘One And Only’. The in your face production drags this gruelling grinder through your speakers for a full on ear melting experience. The riffs are an invincible force of nature as Lips delivers his vocals with a sneer, backed by the rock solid rhythm section of Robb Reiner on drums and Chris Robertson on bass guitar and backing vocals.

‘Feed Your Fantasy’, first single taken from the album just keeps on pounding as Robb pushes his kit to the limit with some ankle snapping kick drumming to drive this catchy, but still heavy as f**k number, interspersed by fiery lead guitar solos.

‘Fight For Your Rights’ is a hot rails to hell headbanger par excellence that forges the fire to stoke up a rock and roll rebel, peppered with a main riff to melt not just your head, but also your sound system!

‘Heartbroken’ smashes along on a vibe that curiously reminded me of ’20th Century Schizoid Man’ by King Crimson, giving it a hypnotic vibe to match the solace of this song.

It’s time to get those air guitars out and throw some shapes for ‘Gold And Diamonds’, a 24 carat gold song pounder, full of neat guitar bombast.

‘Dead Man Shoes’ explodes with wrecking ball power and precision, powered by another Robb seismic trip around his drum kit for an earthshaking tectonic plate shifter.

Second single, ‘Truth Is Dying’ is a gritted teeth grinder that goes down the gears to hammer home its message of hope for a brighter future from a mantra like delivered chorus.

The title, final single to ‘Rocking The World’ gives the game away as it portrays a bands desire to get out on the road to entertain their fans for the good times and bad, full of shout em out loud and proud choruses.

Summers almost here so it’s time to wind down your car windows and crank up the stereo for ‘Run Away’, for these four fiery minutes of free as the wind furore.

Final single, ‘World Of Fools’ sees an outraged Lips spit out his lyrics with a piss and vinegar like delivery, point proven by caustic choruses and musically it’s like being in the eye of an anti political tornado!

Evil walks with glee throughout ‘Condemned Liberty’ as this hypnotic headbanger follows a sedate intro that gives way for almost doom metal like prowess and a band fuelled chest beating chorus.

The album seems to end far too soon as ‘Blind Rage’ is my highlight here, taking me back to their Metal On Metal album era as they shoot from the hip that rants and rages for three minutes to try and capture Mothra!

Anvil band info including a pre-order release for the album is here :- https://shop.afm-records.de/de/anvil/ / https://www.facebook.com/anvilmetal

Lips adds,” We’re more like our old selves than we’ve been for years. We’ve dropped all our modern aspects, particularly the 90’s version of Anvil. No social topics, and no thrash, speed songs like they featured on past albums!”.

Album track listing :-

One And Only.

Feed Your Fantasy.

Fight For Your Rights.

Heartbroken.

Gold And Diamonds.

Dead Man Shoes.

Truth Is Dying.

Rocking The World.

Run Away.

World Of Fools.

Condemned Liberty.

Blind Rage.

Anvil band line up :-

Steve ‘Lips’ Kudlow – Vocals/Guitar.

Robb Reiner – Drums.

Chris Robertson – Bass Guitar/Vocals.

Album review by Dennis Jarman, lifelong member of the Official Anvil Worldwide Street Team and Metal Pounders Union, Member #666-0610.