A heavy metal furnace blast
In recent months, many early metal acts have made a resurgence of sorts. At this point with recent albums from bands like Gwar and talks of a new Nitro album on the horizon, it really isn’t surprising to see that Anvil has lit the fires and forged something new as well. Pounding the Pavement is everything one would expect from the primordial era of heavy metal, a time when pioneers were first starting to push the boundaries of volume, speed and attitude in ways that had never been done before.
Steve “Lips” Kudlow has a commanding vocal presence in addition to his guitar work during the introductory track, “Bitch in the box,” and the support from Robb Reiner on drums is a solid first-rate effort. The first 10 seconds of the album are incredibly captivating. The mid-tempo, crunchy palm-muted guitar is something reminiscent of metal and hard rock that has seen airplay over decades and garnered a following that spans generations. The hilarity of the subject matter isn’t lost on the listener as Kudlow disparages the GPS unit of which he titled the song. He vents his frustrations over the constant wrong directions and general bad guidance from the “Bitch in the box” throughout.
The jewel of the album is arguably the title track, “Pounding the pavement,” which sits five songs deep into the release. The awkward feedback induced introduction is the perfect way to catch any wandering ears and focus them on the blistering guitar riffs that follow. There is no room for lyrics on the track as the band packed it full of pounding bass drum, cowbell and nimble fretwork from beginning to end.
The last song before the bonus material, “Warming up,” is the best showcase of Reiner’s skills from the drum throne as he puts on a clinical display and leaves no part of the kit untouched inside and out. The fills are fantastic, Reiner manages to fluctuate from a “Hot for Teacher” vibe on the cymbal to a sort of “Ballroom Blitz” pattern on the snare all while completely stealing the show with everything he plays in between.
The release is incredibly fun and reminiscent of times when heavy metal was more heavily circulated. From beginning to end, there is something for just about everyone. The mix is done incredibly well, nobody drowns anyone else out and the level of detail present on the vocals, bass, drums and guitar is mind-blowing. All in all, Anvil’s latest release is nothing short of a heavy metal furnace blast.
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