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Anvil's latest is appropriately titled, the band coming close to 25 years of existence (21 as "Anvil") and still producing solid metal records. I think this album is even better than last year "Plenty of Power", which was already very good. "Still Going Strong" is a bit heavier and faster, but overall follows the same path as its predecessor - no frills heavy metal, no sugar added. Lips' distinctive vocals and guitar playing still make the songs unmistakably Anvil, pretty much a trademark sound at this point in time! :) OK, enough stalling. While all the songs are good, some of them stand out above the rest, such as the opener "Race Against Time" which kicks off the album in an heavy and aggressive fashion. Very catchy song with some fast solos, and probably my favourite on the album. "Holy Wood" is interesting by its lyrical content - I was expecting something else because of the title. :) The title track is pretty much an hymn to rock 'n' roll, 50 years and still going strong, with light-hearted lyrics - cool song. "White Rhino" stands apart not only by being an instrumental with a very catchy beat, but also featuring a drum solo, which is a rare sight on studio albums. I'm pretty sure the band played this one live at this year's Classic Metal Fest in July. "Sativa" is pretty much an hymn to cannabis, a bit on the funny side. This is another song that was played at the CMF, and I get the feeling it could become a regular on their set-list.

Anvil haven't reinvented themselves or whatever with this album, keeping in line with a proven formula of solid, classic heavy metal. If you're looking for pompous heavily keyboarded stuff, this is not for you. If you liked them up to now, you'll sure dig this, but if you're still stuck at "Metal On Metal" or didn't like the band before, this won't make you change your mind. Hey, it's your loss, not mine! ;)