Here is the third and final installment for Anvil and their initial deal with Canadian label Attic Records.
Written by: gdmonline
ARTIST: Anvil
ALBUM: Forged In Fire
LABEL: Attic
SERIAL: LAT 1179
YEAR: 1983
CD REISSUE: Discogs Reissue List
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: Canada
LINEUP: Steve ‘Lips’ Kudlow – vocals, guitar * Dave Allison – guitar’ * Ian Dickson – bass * Robb Reiner – drums
TRACK LISTING: 01 Forged In Fire * 02 Shadow Zone * 03 Free As The Wind * 04 Never Deceive Me * 05 Butter-Bust Jerky * 06 Future Wars * 07 Hard Times-Fast Ladies * 08 Make It Up To You * 09 Motormount * 10 Winged Assassins
WEBLINKS: Wikipedia Page
Anvil Background
Here is the third and final installment for Anvil and their initial deal with Canadian label Attic Records.
Depending on who you talk to, ‘Forged In Fire’ has been described as one of their best albums. But because their discography is vast, there are many other contenders to choose from.
Anvil on this album more so than the first two releases, are avowed disciples of early 80’s metal bookends Judas Priest and Iron Maiden.
They do so without completely borrowing 100% from either band. It was the early 80’s after all and plagiarism was rife.
We need only look at the burgeoning El-Lay hair metal scene that was about to take off.
The Songs
British producer Chris Tsangarides who was in the booth for the previous years ‘Metal On Metal’ returns once more. He helps his Canadian cohorts to reach new levels of heaviness. I think he succeeded.
The title track ‘Forged In Fire’ kicks things off, with Lips doing his best Rob Halford impersonation. It’s an over the top Priest meets Dio grind fest.
The speed is switched on for ‘Shadow Zone’. If this was seven years earlier, this could be Priest’s ‘Exciter’.
Lips and co pad it out to five and a minutes for ‘Free As The Wind’. The band gallop across the soundscape unceremoniously. The only thing missing are Manowar‘s inspired metallic armor.
‘Never Deceive Me’ manages to stumble it’s way through it’s 3.44 runtime, with no real tempo to speak of. For the most part it’s slow though it does gradually speed on the choruses.
‘Butter-Bust Jerky’ is the only song-title I remember from this album back in the day. This one is closer to the Anvil template despite the dubious title.
The Toronto boys were probably a year early before the movie ‘The Terminator’ came out. As such the premise of ‘Future Wars’ could apply to Arnie’s movie. Along with every other sci-fi based film since released that related to time travel and war. ‘Tomorrow War’ anyone?
Our Canuck friends lift their game on ‘Hard Times-Fast Ladies’. I’m reminded of that Yesterday And Today track ‘Fast Ladies (And Very Slow Gin)’. This is as far as the lyrics go, but musically this is far heavier.
‘Make It Up To You’ continues the assault, with Lips and Dave Allison leaning into their axe work with gusto.
‘Motormount’ is as manic as the title suggests, the band are reaching for that final crescendo.
The finale ‘Winged Assassins’ looks at the future of North American metal as it would unfold in the months ahead. Think of bands like Warlord, Virgin Steele and Savatage. Perhaps a sign of things to come?
In Summary
‘Forged In Fire’ is a respectable old school heavy metal release, which is a byproduct of the early 80’s era.
It’s a pity Attic Records weren’t able to capitalize on the bands momentum. They dropped Anvil from their roster, which then saw the band become labeless. They weren’t seen again until 1987. By then, the HM scene had changed.
Anvil kinda dropped off our review radar after this album, but they continued to release albums. Firstly with Metal Blade Records through the late 80’s then into the 90’s. And then with a host of other labels right up until the current day.
Read our other Anvil reviews via their tag below.
Anvil on Video
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