ANVIL

BAND BIO:

Their 2009 movie documentary The Story Of Anvil has made them famous the world over, following seemingly endless years of energy-sapping tours de force marked by dismal organisational conditions. Their albums are considered as landmarks among a musical genre which is otherwise successively losing its identity. Their most recent release, Juggernaut Of Justice (2011), was a powerful and unrelenting thunderbolt of the first order.

Now Canadian cult metal act Anvil are back with their new studio recording Hope In Hell. The album presents guitarist/vocalist Steve 'Lips' Kudlow, drummer Robb Reiner and their new bassist Sal Italiano in top form, highly dynamic and full of energy from the first to the last note. "We're really proud and already love the new album just as much as our early releases from the beginning of the eighties, because Hope In Hell sounds like Anvil live on stage: natural, honest, unvarnished, never over-produced and straight from the heart." Which is hardly surprising since Hope In Hell was written and recorded following an 18-month world tour which took Anvil around the globe. "We hadn't expected this kind of extensive tour when we brought out Juggernaut Of Justice," Kudlow confesses. "Time just flew by. I could hardly believe it when I found myself in the studio again after the tour, ready to work on the next album. The reactions to Juggernaut Of Justice and the shows had been so positive that we had plenty of ideas and inspiration for new material."

Hope In Hell will be available in four different formats: as a limited-edition Digipak including bonus material, as a jewel case CD, vinyl LP and as download. "The album's flair reminds me of the beginnings of classic heavy metal in the most positive sense of the term," says Kudlow. "I grew up in the seventies, and I still like what I listened to back then. You can always rely on Anvil, we don't write our music for the radio and we don't want to break any records. Some media criticise our uncompromising attitude, but we're proud of never having betrayed our ideals and having remained faithful to our roots."

BAND MEMBERS:

Steve "Lips" Kudlow

Lips, Anvil's co-founder and lead vocalist, got his first electric guitar when he was 10 years old. Luckily for him, his older brother Jeff took the time to teach him how to play.
After two years he had his first concert, playing a 6th grade Parent's Night. A teacher threatened to shorten his show because Lips was making noise trying to tape his microphone to his guitar. Lips talked back, and was promptly escorted to the Principal's office and given "the strap" across his right hand. So went Lips's first gig!

At age 16 Lips was introduced to drummer Robb Reiner, and they immediately began writing music together. They put together many different combinations of bands over the years. In 1976 they began writing Anvil's first album, and in early 1977 they placed a newspaper ad to find a guitarist-vocalist and a bass player. Dave Allison answered the ad, and at the rehearsal space they met up with Ian Dickson. This was the line-up the world got to know as Anvil.

Robert Geza Reiner

Legendary Canadian drumming icon, best known for being a innovator of many metal drumming styles, founding member of the band Anvil, along with influencing all generations of drummers thereafter!

Robb Reiner is praised for his work with Anvil, on such great tracks like Jackhammer, Winged Assassins, White Rhino, Speed of Sound, that withstand the test of time throughout history of metal. Reiner comes from a jazz drumming background and marching drum line discipline, being strongly influenced by likes of Buddy Rich and Gene Krupa, along with some of rocks best: Ian Paice,Ginger Baker, John Bonham, Cozy Powell, Don Brewer, and Carl Palmer.

Sal Italiano

The current bassist for Anvil.