Kingcrimsonprog Monument Of Metal is a compilation, ‘Best Of’ or ‘Greatest Hits’ album by the Canadian Metal band Anvil, who are enjoying a new wave of popularity and interest in the wake of staring in a popular documentary film.

The album takes music from all across the band’s thirty-year career. Almost every Anvil studio album old and new is represented by at least one track, even their 2011 release Juggernaut Of Justice. The only omissions are 1983’s Forged In Fire and their 1981 debut album Hard ‘N’ Heavy, although tracks that were originally from these albums are featured in re-recorded forms, as indeed are two tracks from 1982’s Metal On Metal album.

Despite the tracks being taken from all different eras with all different sorts of production jobs, the music actually does manage to flow reasonably well together and this release serves as an enjoyable record to listen to as well as just an introduction to the band’s various styles and eras.

The sound for the most part is somewhere harder, heavier and often faster than traditional Heavy Metal, but not quite strictly Thrash Metal all the time either. Perhaps the earlier and more Priest/Saxon/Maiden influenced Thrash debut albums like Overkill’s Feel The Fire and Anthrax’s Fistful Of Metal are the best place to begin comparisons if you really need to, although this still doesn’t properly convey the band’s sound.

How much you will enjoy the album is of course purely subjective and every negative can be seen as a positive depending on your tastes. For example, how people see the lyrics can vary between fun eighties cheese or just plain silly and some of the track’s production jobs aren’t the best in the world but this adds to the classic feel and overall charm.

Overall, if you have an interest in Anvil but aren’t yet a full on fan then this is a great and inexpensive way to test the waters and find out whether or not they are for you. If you are lucky, by the time you’ve made your decision the majority of their catalogue will be remastered and repackaged in digipak form, so you can start a high quality collection if you so choose. At the very least you can get an album with most of the tracks that were featured in the aforementioned documentary film.

Time Signature Hard times - fast metal...

Genre: traditional metal

After their massively metal sophomore album "Metal on Metal", Anvil strike back with the almost equally massive "Forged in Fire".

The album starts out with the massively heavy and almost epic title track, which was famously covered by British death metallers Benediction, but the majority of tracks on the album are rather uptempo with lots of galloping guitars, guitar harmonies, rocking guitar solos, and even some speed and power metal elements, which gives the album energy and an edge beyond the pure rock 'n' roll style that is associated with the band these days. There are other heavy tracks such as the Priest-esque attempt at making a heavy metal anthem in "Never Deceive Me".

The vocals are quite varied ranging from rock 'n' roll shouting over clean singing to heavy metal screaming, and, most of the time it works, with the metal screaming obviously not being Lips' forte on this album. Fortunately there is plenty of big vibrato singing, which was Lips' trademark back in the day and one of the distinguishing features of this mighty Canadian metal band.

This is truly a metal classic, and anyone with a love for 80s metal should check out "Forged in Fire".

Stephen "Juggernaut of Justice" is the Canadian heavy metal legend, Anvil's fourteenth release and was recorded at Dave Grohl's studio with Bob Marlette handling the production set. Still rooting on the classic NWoBHM sound in the veins of Judas Priest and Saxon, what you'll get out of 12 tracks here is basically an alternate switch between furious 'seek and destroy' heavy metal and uptempo hard rock, but not only that, they also includes couple of unusual tracks such as "Paranormal" or "Swing Thing".

The title track opens first, unleashing the incinerating riffs, blasted with an ultraloud drumming of Robb Reiner. You can't call yourself a metal fan if you don't like this track. "When Hell Breaks Loose" doesn't give you a chance to breathe, not even a bit. A wonderful track to continue the earlier rampage of 'Juggernaut' and one of the shiny tracks to be found here. "New Orleans Voodoo" tried to slow down but shame to me it's average at best and along with "Paranormal", is somehow the worst tunes they made.

"On Fire" is back in action again, check out Lips' slaughtering solos, unbelievable! He also did another spectacular show in "Turn It Up". Another great tracks that I like here are "The Ride", "Running", and the unpredictable "Swing Thing" which is a jazzy flirt with the surprising horn, a surely brilliant way to end the album. This is pure heavy metal treat to enjoy, while it somehow struggling with 'many tracks sounding the same', you just can't go wrong with most of the songs here. Crank it up loud and see how you'll bang your head endlessly for 50 fucken minutes eh!

AtomicCrimsonRush I owned this on vinyl in the 80s and played it to death in those days. It has since met it's fate in the heavy metal funeral pyre along with a lot of other 80s metal. But at the time this was a killer with some awesome riffs and amazing melodies. Metal on Metal is an ear splitter with an infectious anthemic shout out loud chorus.

Mothra is a lot of fun about the legendary Tokyo monster.

March of the Crabs is an incredible guitar heavy metal instrumental. Tease Me, Please Me harkens back to their sex n sleaze debut. And 666 was the mandatory take on Revelation that every metal band was targetting.

The band were sadly underrated but this was the drawcard - great solid punching metal between the ears.

1967/ 1976 A punch in the face is less painful than this masterpiece of Speed Metal. Provided we can agree to do the test! Said this I think that the evolution of Traditional Metal for Anvil is Speed Metal and Extreme power Metal and Extreme Power Metal. No compromises... With no conpromises! At this point is clear that Anvil is a great band, in evolution day by day.

Interesting is "Speed Of Sound", a good Speed Metal, direct and bastard. Extreme is, in Power Metal field, "Blood In The Playground", maybe a great melodic USA Power Metal as "Deadbeat Dad" that is also an elaborate song for the album standard. Great solo and great refrain, also melodic, if this definition is applicable for Anvil and "Speed Of Sound". "Man Over Broad" is a short but great example of Speed Metal without compromise. "No Evil" is a song for Prog Metallers, because with various moments. A doomy intro, Speed solo and first verse, simil Black/ Death bridge, Power Metal refrain and second verse, another passage via bridge/ refrain, Jazzy moment, Thrash soli section, Another Power Metal verse and another section with bridge and refrain. At the end this song is a modern Power Metal song for Progsters. "Bullshit" is a strange song for style. Ok, at the end is another Traditional Metal/ Power Metal/ Thrash Metal with Punk treatment, typical of this album. But also with AOR atmospheres in vocal lines (also if very aggressive)!!! "Mattress Mambo" The classic song (slightly crazy) you need to fill an album, song of relief, then, but with a great deal of technical writing and really above average. In my view this is the song more close to European Power Metal, because this is a song in this style. "Secret Agent" is another good Power Metal with Speed parts (very Punky) with great guitars riffs. "Life To Lead" present a start similar to Motorhead "Ace Of Spades". Hmmm... This song is a pure Motorhead song... "Ace Of Spades" is a copy of this song and not vice versa!!! "Park That Truck" close the album. This song is a beautiful song. Unless the head decides to break and his heart to race at dull speeds of drums. Because Speed Metal in this case is only speed!!!

So ... The Canadians Anvil have decided to rise Gods of Speed Metal or have made a pact with the devil? I'm not able to write an answer. I'm sincere. I prefer to judge this album for what it is. A pure no compromises album. With direct writing. With technique and with magic. Only that a punch in the face is less painful than this masterpiece of Speed Metal