754. Anvil / Hard 'n' Heavy. 1981. 2/5

Anvil's debut album is one which is typical of debut albums of the era. Put together with the best of the material the band had been playing at gigs over the past five years or more, this is a mixed release of songs that don't always congeal together. Because it is written over several years, there is not the same tightness over the course of the album that happens when the writing process occurs over a short period prior to recording. In this instance, the style of songs isn't as defined as it would be in future releases. It was originally released independently under the band's original name of Lips, but when they were signed up by their record company, they changed their name to Anvil, and it was re-released.

Much of the lyrical content is questionable, if only because it is quite inane, suggestive and downright forthright in its "have sex with me in fifty different ways" message. Really, bands that followed like Motley Crue and Ratt and Poison all at least tried to be amusing in covering their lyrics with clever insinuations, but most of the stuff here is just right in your face. The lyrics here aren't really even comical. Who knows... maybe they worked and they got what they were asking for? I don't know, but these songs are difficult to sing along to because you feel so stupid even saying the words.

Steve Kudrow handles the majority of the singing, though "I Want You Both (With Me)" and "Oh Jane" have the lead vocals performed by second guitarist Dave Allison. The guitaring by the two is fine, if a little uneven. At times it can feel as though they just choose to go off and do their own thing, and completely forget that there is a song going on that requires each to be playing the same chords. Robb Reiner's drumming however is exceptional, holding everything together no matter what is happening in the other departments.
Apart from the opening track "School Love", "Bedroom Game" and a quite reasonable cover version of the Rolling Stones' "Paint it, Black", the remainder of the songs here would barely class themselves in the metal category. It was following the release of this album, and before Metal on Metal arrived the following year, that Anvil found their mojo, and the style of music they began to produce became, for a short time, a benchmark in the metal scene. Very little of that can be found here on Hard 'n' Heavy, which though not completely devoid of harder rock tracks is completely barren of non-childish lyrical content.

Rating:  Feeling each other 'cause that's your style  2/5.