Anvil

School friends Steve ‘Lips’ Kudlow and Robb Reiner lived out their dreams in the 1980s, latching on to a new wave of heavy metal and building a reputation for fun, sexually provocative thrash rock played louder and faster than anyone else on the scene. The jazz trained drummer Reiner and the lightning fast guitarist Kudlow set a level of musical proficiency unmatched by their peers. Their albums Metal on Metal (1982) and Forged in Fire (1983) sent them on tour with Motorhead and Iron Maiden and proved a huge inspiration to Metallica, Slayer, and Anthrax. Yet they never managed to capitalize on their popularity and soon slipped away into obscurity playing to an ever dwindling handfuls of fans. That was until filmmaker and fan Sacha Gervasi looked them up in 2006 and traced their story in the brilliant, heart-warming documentary film Anvil! The Story of Anvil. Billed as the real life Spinal Tap, it resulted in a huge upsurge in popularity and the band became cult heroes, playing sold out shows across Europe, appearing on The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien and opening for AC/DC and Saxon. While Kudlow and Reiner remained the band’s core members, many other musicians passed through their ranks during their 46+ year career. Rhythm guitarist Sebastian Marino, a member from 1989 until 1995, died on January 1, 2023, at the age of 57. Original rhythm guitarist Dave ‘Squirrely’ Allison, who played with Anvil from 1978 to 1989, died on September 30, 2024, at the age of 68.

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