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There are some notable holes in The Metal Crypt's review catalog and I'm about to fill a big one. Here it is, the legendary second album from Canada's Anvil; Metal on Metal. I don't know how this hasn't been reviewed here before, this is a Canada-based site for crying out loud.

Most of you are familiar with the Anvil saga and you can check out the Anvil: The Story of Anvil documentary if you want the details so I won't go into them here. In 1982 Anvil, then a foursome, released what would be their statement album. It is here that the band defined the sound that has been their calling card ever since. You've got the proto-thrash riffs, pounding drums, insanely catchy choruses and off-beat lyrical topics that set Anvil apart from the crowd. Led by the larger-than-life Lips on vocals and lead guitar and anchored by the tremendously heavy and precise drumming of Robb Reiner (rhythm guitarist Dave Allison and bassist Ian Dickson would be gone by the late 80s/early 90s), Anvil sounded like no other band. Whether it was slow, smoldering and heavy as hell tracks like "Metal on Metal" and "666" or faster songs like "Jackhammer" and "Heatsink" you knew exactly who you were hearing. Lips has a distinctive shout and I truly love his guitar playing. He may not be the best player, but he has a unique sound superbly suited to the songwriting which often employed a call-and-response style between the vocals and lead work. It all came together on Metal on Metal as there is not one weak track, and that includes the Dave Allison-sung "Stop Me", an oddly mainstream cut that is still pure Anvil thanks to Lips' solos.

This album has it all, from excellent songs to cool cover art and even a fantastic font for the band logo. It is a cornerstone in the foundation of heavy metal and deserves a spot in every collection.