It's Lucky 13 for Anvil!

Posted on Sep 15th 2009 8:00AM by Amy Sciarretto Comments

That's right -- 13 albums! Most bands don't stick around long enough to make three records, much less 13! It's a jaw-dropping statistic in 2009.

But Canada's Anvil aren't like every other band out there. There is no real secret to their longevity, at least none that lead vocalist and lead guitarist Steve 'Lips' Kudlow wants to reveal. "We only hope we can make a difference musically," Lips told Noisecreep. "The first three albums set me up for a career that has lasted all these years. For a young band, though, to make a difference and have longevity, you have to get along with each other and persevere while the record company goes through changes on the business level."

Lips summed things up mathematically, saying, "There are a million and one obstacles, and one in a million bands make it. It's such a random and luck-filled business. Anything can happen if you work hard enough and long enough." It's simple advice, but it's oh-so-true. If you need further proof, just check Anvil's resume. 13 albums. 30-plus years of horns held high. Props from the likes of Metallica. Anvil are one of metal's most enduring acts and in 2009, they're finally getting some mainstream love!

As for the 'new' album 'This is Thirteen,' which is a re-release, Lips says, with his trademark straightforwardness, "Each album is a mark in time in our lives. I don't know if anything or any one album can sum up our career. Once I'm dead, they'll sum it up. It hasn't come to an end yet, though!"

He is also aware that the release of the 'Anvil! The Story of Anvil' rock doc that was unleashed earlier this year has led up to the Anvil revival, so to speak. "It's like the full circle of a career in a sense. We worked with a producer who produced us in past. It is our 13th album. We recorded it and made a movie about the band and everything that happened, so it's incredible." Lips and Anvil are nothing if not modest, and perhaps that is the most crucial part of the recipe that has comprised their success.

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