Metal On Metal

Editors’ Notes Metal on Metal is a seminal text on the emerging thrash metal scene of the '80s. An influence on Metallica, Megadeth, and just about every thrash metal band you'd care to name, Anvil had its fortune twisted and its impact blunted by management snafus that kept the group from recording in its prime. "Metal on Metal" is a classic track: a metal anthem that will outlive the band the way "Breaking the Law" will outrun Judas Priest. The riffs throughout the album are classic, and if the rhythms don't quite match Slayer's speed and intensity, well, it was only 1982, and each year counted back then. Drummer Robb Reiner is often the focus here, adding jackhammer rhythms to "March of the Crabs" and, well, "Jackhammer"; these made him an inspiration to a new generation of metalheads. There's plenty of excitement in the playing and fewer exhibitions of the members' dexterous musicianship. This makes the songs more concise and easier to digest for non-metalheads, yet there's still enough metal to keep the faithful singing Anvil's praises.