Tag Archives: steve “lips” kudlow

Concert Review – Anvil (El Mocambo, Toronto, ON, 04/06/2024)

Posted on by
Reply

And Toronto had a night of incendiary old school Heavy Metal and Rock N’ Roll, courtesy of the most iconic metal band in the history of Canada.

OPENING ACTS: Devilwitch and Buffalo Bill

On a chilly but very pleasant Saturday night in Toronto, the city’s own Heavy Metal legends ANVIL returned for a night of classic heavy music at the old school venue El Mocambo, with supporting acts DEVILWITCH and BUFFALO BILL, inside their excellent main room curiously named “Under the Neon Palms”. Keith Ibbitson of Metal Paparazzi and I were there as usual to cover the whole night, and I gotta say that even after 40 years on the road the most iconic Canadian metal band of all time still sounds sharp, heavy and melodic, proving why they are a must-listen for anyone worldwide who considers him or herself a true metalhead.

Although due to traffic I had to miss the first couple of songs by the opener of the night, Toronto-based Heavy Metal/Hard Rock act DEVILWITCH, as soon as I stepped into the venue they started playing the very first notes from Iron Maiden’s all-time classic Hallowed Be Thy Name, which of course won my heart instantly. Born and raised in Toronto, Mike Carbone (aka Ceebz) is an independent artist with a deep love for all things creative, especially musical composition and live Rock N’ Roll performances, and that passion was definitely translated to the stage Saturday night with a tight and inspired band supporting Ceebz (and I’m sorry, but I have no idea who those fantastic musicians are*), properly warming up a very good crowd for the upcoming bands. There’s some original stuff by Devilwitch on BandCamp and on Spotify; however, when Ceebz and his henchmen play live, they surely add some amazing covers to their setlist, including the aforementioned Hallowed Be Thy Name, Deep Purple’s Highway Star and, closing their show, a beautiful version for Ozzy Osbourne’s Mama, I’m Coming Home, dedicated to the memory of the undisputed, most badass, biggest metal fan in the history of Toronto, Walter Froeberich (RIP), with the back screen showing a sweet photo of Ceebz together with Walter. Simply amazing, and I’m sure if one day you have the chance to see Devilwitch live, you’ll love it.

Band members
Mike Carbone – vocals, guitars
Evil Tim – 7-string bass
Anthony Pannozzo – keyboards
Aaronik – drums

*Edit: Thanks to Keith and to Ceebz himself, I was able to get the band’s full lineup. Next time I promise I’ll do an even deeper research before publishing the reviews.

After a short break where everyone at El Mocambo (and I literally mean everyone) went for some drinks, another Torontonian attraction, Hard Rock trio BUFFALO BILL, began blasting our ears with an overdose of classic beer drinking, hell raising, Blues-infused Rock N’ Roll. Formed of Jorge Sousa on vocals and guitars, Will Shannon on bass, and Jeff Mastronardi on drums, the trio didn’t waste a single second and delivered the sheer power of the riff on stage, playing some amazing songs which, despite not knowing the name of any, sounded killer live, plus the fact they played everything at top volume. Well, as Manowar said one day, all men play on ten, right? You can listen to some of their creations on BandCamp and on Spotify, and keep an eye on their live concerts because they’re certainly a band that drives the energy of any venue up through the roof, always in the name of our good old Rock N’ Roll. And after Devilwitch and Buffalo Bill finalized their incendiary warmup, we were all more than ready for some “metal on metal”.

Band members
Jorge Sousa – vocals, guitars
Will Shannon – bass
Jeff Mastronardi – drums

ANVIL

As the stage was ready to be hammered by the one and only Canadian Heavy Metal institution ANVIL, you could sense a different feeling in the air, something absolutely old school, fun and vibrant, taking us back in time to the glory of the 80’s. And the whole concert by the iconic Steve “Lips” Kudlow on vocals and guitars, Chris “Chirst” Robertson on bass, and Robb Reiner on drums was majestic, playing songs from their early days like Oooh Baby, from their 1981 debut Hard ‘n’ Heavy, and 666, from their 1982 masterpiece Metal on Metal, to present day tunes like Take a Lesson, from their 2022 opus Impact Is Imminent, all available on Spotify, by the way. Well, they kicked off the show with Lips getting down from the stage into the floor section during March of the Crabs, playing his guitar in the middle of the crowd (and right by my side, which was awesome), a very cool touch to their show proving how much they love playing live to their fans.

A few other songs stood out among their ass-kicking setlist, inspiring all concert goers for some vigorous headbanging and horns raising. For instance, before playing Legal at Last, Lips talked about the legalization of marijuana being the only good thing Justin Trudeau did for Canada. Do you agree with that? There was also a very nice story about one of his interactions with the unparalleled Lemmy Kilmister (RIP) during a Motörhead and Anvil tour back in the 80’s, and while Lips was telling the whole story (and sorry, you’ll have to see Anvil live if you want to know all details), I kept thinking how cool it must have been to tour with a brilliant gentleman like Lemmy. Also, during the amazing Mothra, Lips got a vibrator out of his back pocket and used it to play his guitar in three different ways, something only a band like Anvil can provide us with in Christ’s own words. And what can I say about the breathtaking On Fire? By far one of the best songs of the night, I must say.

In addition to the mesmerizing performance by Lips, I must say their bassist Christ was also insane on stage, with his crazy looks and wicked facial expressions, plus of course his first-class bass playing technique, putting a huge smile on everyone’s faces. And let’s not forget the stone crusher Robb Reiner on drums, who delivered a soulful, powerful drum solo for our total delight, also pounding his drums nonstop during all songs, of course. The trio’s undeniable talent and energy made my favorite Anvil song, Badass Rock ‘n’ Roll, sound even more electrifying live, not to mention I think Lips should have renamed it “Bad-Ass Rock N’ Roll” and dedicated it to an unknown piece of shit who was farting his rotten soul out of his body during the entire night. Seriously, that guy or girl must have eaten an explosive burrito full of tainted refried beans and overloaded with rancid bell peppers, because his or her ass was definitely putrid. I told Keith I was about to call 911 because that person needed to go to ER to check if he or she was still alive. Anyway, back to the concert, of course an Anvil party is not complete without their all-time hit Metal on Metal, which again ended with Lips on the floor section (and again by my side) playing his guitar to his loyal fans, and after that he stayed among us to sing Neil Diamond’s “Sweet Caroline” together with us while the house DJ played it. Really, Lips is one of the coolest dudes in heavy music, period. And whenever Anvil take your city by storm, you know what to do.

Setlist
March of the Crabs
666
Oooh Baby
Legal at Last
Take a Lesson
Badass Rock ‘n’ Roll
Winged Assassins
Free as the Wind
On Fire
Forged in Fire
Mothra
Bitch in the Box
Swing Thing
Ghost Shadow
Metal on Metal

Band members
Steve “Lips” Kudlow – vocals, guitars
Chris “Chirst” Robertson – bass
Robb Reiner – drums

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Album Review – Anvil / Anvil Is Anvil (2016)

Posted on by
Reply

Against all odds, Anvil are still the same Anvil from their beginnings, but that doesn’t seem to be translating into thrilling heavy music in the end.

frontSomeone definitely needs to write a dissertation or a graduate thesis on how Canadian Heavy/Speed Metal power trio Anvil has managed to survive for such a long time (the band was formed back in 1978) without releasing anything truly remarkable in their career except for their 1982 classic album Metal On Metal. Well, I guess we all know that the main reason for the band to still be alive was the 2008 highly acclaimed documentary Anvil! The Story of Anvil (if you haven’t watched it yet, please do it as soon as possible), but in terms of the quality of their music, let’s say nothing has really changed or evolved through the years.

Maybe I’m being too harsh on those Canadian metallers, but the music found in their sixteenth studio album, “cryptically” entitled Anvil Is Anvil, doesn’t really allow me to say anything newsworthy about them after so many years on the road. The only difference from all of their previous albums (and I dare you to name two or three of those, excluding Metal On Metal) is that this is their first release to feature bassist Chris Robertson. Apart from that, everything that the iconic lead singer and guitarist Steve “Lips” Kudlow and drummer Robb “Robbo” Reiner have to offer us is an uninspired and wearisome cover version of themselves during the entire album.

Why Anvil decided to “think outside the box” and go with a pirate song called Daggers and Rum to open the album is beyond my comprehension, but that’s fine, at least they tried something different.  What we have here is extremely basic and relatively fun Heavy Metal that should work well when played live, but somebody please ask Lips not to pretend to be a pirate again in his life. Up, Down, Sideways is much better in terms of speed and sound quality, with Chris Robertson doing a decent job on bass while Robb keeps delivering his classic beats. However, in Gun Control, an 80’s metal tune with some Sludge Metal elements added to it, its irritating and banal  lyrics (“Do you defend your family? / Or go and rob a bank? / Do you defend your country? / For that who do we thank? / Do we need some? / Gun control / Gun control”) make me think only diehard fans of the band are capable of enjoying this song.

Die for a Lie is a song with a religious connotation (against radical Islamism) that doesn’t actually make too much sense, not to mention its completely bland instrumental, with only some decent guitar solos saving it from being a total disaster; while Runaway Train puts the band back on track with its very direct and effective approach and great performances by Lips and Robb. This is in my opinion what Anvil should be doing nowadays, kind of a mix of their classic sounding with Motörhead’s high-speed Rock N’ Roll. On the other hand, they should stay away from the ridiculousness of Zombie Apocalypse, with its cliché lyrics (“Death and destruction becoming a routine / Only just a thought in reality obscene / Virus and bacteria, the biochemical host / Extinction of humanity, nothing but a ghost”) and a Hard Rock/Stoner Metal vibe that doesn’t work really well.

anvilAnd this roller-coaster of quality doesn’t seem to have an end, as once again they are the Anvil we enjoy and not an amateur garage band, delivering the fast and metallic It’s Your Move. It might not be brilliant, but at least it has a lot more electricity than most songs in the album. The same can be said about Ambushed, another good song that keeps the energy flowing at a decent level due to its nice chorus and what’s probably the best vocals delivered by Lips in the entire album. I also liked the drumming and the vibe in Fire on the Highway, despite the vocal lines sounding a bit disconnected from the music. Yet again, there’s absolutely nothing new presented in this tune, but that’s doesn’t mean it’s bad or tasteless.

Run Like Hell, a lot more complex and electric than all other songs, showcases a perfect synchronicity between Lips and Robb, nicely complemented by Chris’ bass lines and, therefore, resulting in the best song of Anvil Is Anvil by far.  Its kick-ass riffs and nonstop beats sound like an ode to their own legacy, with even Lips’ guitar solos sounding much better than usual. Regrettably, Forgive Don’t Forget was the worst possible way they could have chosen to close the album. Nothing in this tune works, from its mediocre rhythm to its even worse lyrics and backing vocals. I’m pretty sure I will forget this song exists really soon. And if you get the digipak version of the album you can consider yourself relatively lucky, because both bonus tracks Never Going to Stop and You Don’t Know What It’s Like are above average songs that should have been part of the regular version instead of all those weak tracks.

In summary, unless you’re completely mental for this Canadian band, don’t invest too much of your time on Anvil Is Anvil. I suggest you stick to their 1982 classic album and also to their 2008 documentary, because these are what the legacy of Anvil is all about. I still respect them for always keep trying no matter what, for always being the same Anvil from their beginnings and going against all odds, but that doesn’t seem to be translating into thrilling heavy music in the end. They’re still having fun being Anvil and that looks like everything they need to keep moving forward, so who am I to tell them their music today is not as exciting as they think? We should simply let those guys keep on rocking until their very last breath, because Anvil will always be Anvil, there’s no way to change that.

Best moments of the album: Runaway Train and Run Like Hell.

Worst moments of the album: Gun Control, Die for a Lie and Forgive Don’t Forget.

Released in 2016 Steamhammer/SPV

Track listing
1. Daggers and Rum 5:26
2. Up, Down, Sideways 3:19
3. Gun Control 4:22
4. Die for a Lie 3:17
5. Runaway Train 3:40
6. Zombie Apocalypse 4:22
7. It’s Your Move 3:30
8. Ambushed 3:22
9. Fire on the Highway 4:35
10. Run Like Hell 3:07
11. Forgive Don’t Forget 2:40

Digipak bonus tracks
12. Never Going to Stop 4:09
13. You Don’t Know What It’s Like 3:31

Band members
Steve “Lips” Kudlow – lead vocals, lead & rhythm guitars
Chris Robertson – bass guitar
Robb “Robbo” Reiner – drums

Movie Review – Wacken 3D – Louder Than Hell (2014)

Posted on by
1

Experience the biggest metal festival in the world, in 3D, and louder than hell.

Rating4

Wacken 3DIt’s undeniable that Wacken Open Air is the biggest, most exciting and most badass Heavy Metal festival in the entire world. For instance, it only takes couple of days after the festival is over for the next year’s edition to be sold out. If you’ve already had the indescribable pleasure of attending this 4-day monstrous gathering in your life (and I’m pretty sure that if the answer is “yes” you’ve already repeated that metallic ritual many times through the years) you have the chance to go back in time and feel that energy again by watching the awesome documentary entitled WACKEN 3D – LOUDER THAN HELL. And if you’ve never been to Wacken, this is your chance to take a special journey to the heart of the festival, with the 3D screening making you feel like you’re right there with over 75,000 metalheads from all over the world celebrating life and heavy music.

Filmed with 18 stereoscopic 3D cameras during the 2013 edition of the festival, this excellent documentary by award-winning director Norbert Heitker will show you exactly what happens once a year to a calm farming village in the middle of a Northern German countryside, when it becomes the centre of the universe for all things metal. You’ll be able to see in details what it is to camp at Wacken, the daily routine of fans and bands, what musicians think of the festival, and even go crowd-surfing and mud-diving with the more lunatic fans. Not only that, you’ll also have a good time watching some electrifying performances by metal giants such as Deep Purple, Anthrax, Motörhead, Rammstein, Alice Cooper, Lamb Of God, and many more.

12_WackenIn my opinion, as a huge supporter of the underground of heavy music, the best part of the entire documentary is when they focus on some of the national winners of the already famous Wacken Metal Battle, showing what it is to be an up-and-coming band playing at the most important metal festival on earth. There are awesome bands from Uruguay, Romania, Canada and so on showcasing their music to thousands of fans, but my favorite one in terms of creativity and feeling were the Chinese Metal Battle winners Nine Treasures. All members of the band are from Inner Mongolia, with all lyrics being sung in Mongolian, which is beyond incredible. You have to watch it to understand what I’m talking about, and if one day those guys read this review, I would like to ask them to kindly send us their material for review. It would be a huge pleasure for us at The Headbanging Moose to do that.

06_WackenIn case you live in Canada and do not have any plans for tonight (well, even if you do have plans you should definitely cancel them), there will be a special WACKEN 3D – LOUDER THAN HELL “One Night Only Across Canada” event today, October 29 at 7:30pm at several Cineplex theaters. You can check more details at the official Facebook event, see where the movie will be playing by clicking HERE, and also grab your tickets at the official Cineplex website. In addition, following the Cineplex Yonge-Dundas screening in Toronto, Steve “Lips” Kudlow and Robb Reiner of Anvil will be in attendance for a Q&A, and if you cannot make it today but you live near Ottawa the movie will also be playing soon at the Mayfair Theatre, located at 1074 Bank Street, Ottawa, Ontario.

Best moments of the movie: The unique moments of glory provided by the Wacken Metal Battle bands from different countries, the iconic Rammstein playing Du Hast with thousands of fans screaming the lyrics together with the band and, of course, all the classy mud scenes.

Worst moments of the movie: The fact that there were no subtitles when a fan or a band spoke in a language different than English, especially when it was in German. At least the version I saw had no subtitles. Oh, and unfortunately there were no interviews with Lemmy.

Released in 2014 Jumpseat 3Dplus/Wüste Film

Bands and artists featured in the documentary
Rammstein
Alice Cooper
Deep Purple
Motörhead
Henry Rollins
Trivium
Ragnarok
Lamb Of God
Annihilator
Anthrax
…and many more!