Tonight, it’s the Canadian masters of Metal, Anvil, at Bannermans in Edinburgh, touring their new album One And Only. First up, in only their second gig, are local boys 8th Circle, a band reportedly born from a mutual love of single malt whisky and riffs. They open with a heavy rocker, “The Bull Song,” a riff-laden, tasty piece of work, setting a fabulous start to their set. The crunching guitars kick in as we move into “Immortality,” another guitar-heavy track with great vocals—these boys can play. The intense “Wonderland” is quickly followed by “Edge of Insanity,” and then the full-on “Begin the Harvest” with superb riffs and vocals. They close a fantastic set with “Rise,” which features Sabbath-inspired riffs. Based on tonight’s show, this young band has a bright future. Their sound blends early Sabbath with Disturbed and something else I can’t quite pinpoint. Catch them live if you can—you’ll enjoy their music.
Now, for the main event: Anvil kicks off with a couple from 1982’s Metal on Metal, starting with the thunderous instrumental “March of the Crabs.” Lips lays down killer riffs as he slowly makes his way through the packed crowd, finishing the track on stage, while Chris, like a demented crab, moves sideways across the stage, killing it on bass. Robbo holds the rhythm on his massive drum kit, which takes up a third of the stage—what a start! The ferocious “666” follows, with the crowd singing along. The band has never sounded better. We flash back to 1981 for one of my favorites, “Ooh Baby, Baby,” with its groovy guitar work and solid backing from Chris and Robb. They tear through “Legal at Last” before delivering “Truth is Dying,” featuring a heavy, thumping intro, where the bass and drums provide a strong backbone, ending with killer riffs from Lips.
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Next up is “Badass Rock ‘n’ Roll,” which fits Anvil’s style perfectly. The crowd jumps and sings along to the killer chorus—this is pure rock at its best. We return to 1983 with a twin attack from Forged in Fire as we get “Winged Assassins” and “Free As the Wind,” a track about the time Lips met Lemmy and lost track of 24 hours, which drew laughs from the crowd. Another favorite, “On Fire,” follows, and the band truly is on fire tonight. Robbo’s drumming is superb, Chris is intense on bass, and Lips shreds on guitar and vocals. The band is definitely “Forged in Fire” tonight, launching into the epic “Mothra,” with the crowd singing along as Lips pulls out a certain notorious prop to enhance the guitar vibes. It’s been an epic night.
The sat nav “Bitch in the Box” doesn’t lead us astray as we head into the right direction for “Swing Thing,” with a jazz-infused drum intro from Robbo. The band then kicks in, taking us on a joyride with stunning guitar work, and Chris’s bass playing is sublime. Robbo is let loose with an epic drum solo, showcasing his immense talent. They close the night with a hard-hitting double bill from Metal on Metal, starting with the pounding “Jackhammer” before ending with the title track, “Metal on Metal.” Lips pays tribute to their original member, Dave ‘Squirrly’ Allison, who sadly passed away on Monday. Anvil is at the top of their game, still touring with energy that puts many bands to shame. They were tight tonight and clearly having fun. Go see them live and enjoy some pure old-school metal.
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Photos by Gary Cooper
