Anvil Chorus

Have you seen "Anvil: The Story of Anvil"?

The "Spinal Tap" comparisons are indeed hard to dismiss. The drummer's name is Robb Reiner, for god's sake. But Anvil is a real rock band with real men who have spent decades trying to break through.

I'm sure seeing the movie with an audience there'd probably be a lot of laughs. Seeing it home alone in a quiet Tomb, the experience is a little more heartbreaking. Guys in their 50s, working dead-end jobs, chasing the dream on their free time. People might say it's inspiring. Personally, it kills me.

I'm just a fucking nobody writer. I've been a writer "on the verge" for maybe 3-4 years now. And it has been kicking my arse. Cannot imagine hitting 50 and being in the same place, waiting for my ship to come in. Doors slamming in my face, putting out work that never gets properly seen.

See the movie. As a documentary, it could have been better. As a narrative, I could have used a little more information along the way. But the heart of it is all splayed out. It is a small spoiler to say that in the end, the Japanese market is Anvil's salvation. I don't know why someone didn't tip off the members of Anvil sooner. The United Hates of America may have turned its collective back on rock, but the Asians will always save you. And don't you ever forget it.

If you've seen it and are curious about the impact the film had on the band, check out this interview. (For the record, the guy who made the ANVIL documentary was one of the writers of Spielberg's THE TERMINAL.)

ANVIL's new album is called "Juggernaut of Justice". The documentary has supposedly been released on both DVD and Blu-Ray, though Netflix sent me the doc on DVD. That is a juggernaut of injustice...