1) Anvil is a C… Read Full Bio ↴There is more than one artist using the name Anvil:
1) Anvil is a Canadian heavy metal band who has influenced many musical groups including Slayer and Metallica. The band's history is chronicled in the 2009 documentary Anvil! The Story of Anvil.
2) Anvil is a1970s German heavy prog psych band.
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1) - The roots of Anvil began in April 1973 in Toronto, when high school friends Steve "Lips" Kudlow and Robb Reiner began playing music together. They met through friend, guitarist and neighbour Marty Hoffman, but "musical differences" caused his departure after their first show. It was not until 1978 that the first lineup that was to become Anvil was formed: Steve "Lips" Kudlow (lead vocals, lead guitar), Robb Reiner (drums), Dave Allison (vocals, rhythm guitar) and Ian Dickson (bass).
In 1981, the band released an independent album called Hard 'N Heavy. Shortly after they were signed by Attic Records they changed their name to Anvil and the independent album was released by Attic as their debut album. In 1987 they were approached by American label Metal Blade Records. They released three records with Metal Blade Records starting with Strength Of Steel. Strength of Steel was the group's most commercially successful record in the United States, peaking at #191 on the Billboard 200. Anvil were then picked up by Maximum Records, an independent Canadian label that was formed by Helix's manager-at-the-time William Seip. From 1996 they were signed by Hypnotic Records in Canada and Massacre Records in Germany. In 2001, the band recorded "Plenty of Power" and continued touring in which Kudlow remarked "We'll play gigs sometimes where there's no one there".
In 2006, the band recorded with Chris Tsangarides, who previously produced their 1982 album Metal on Metal. The CD was released as This is Thirteen in 2007. The album is available exclusively from the band's official website. KNAC reviewed the album saying that "despite its good intentions, is lacking something solid," and concluded it was a "shame because half of the album rocked solid balls of awesomeness when performed live."
The band's history has been documented in the film Anvil! The Story of Anvil released in 2009. The film has received high praise which has put Anvil back into the public consciousness, propelling them to playing several festivals including the Download Festival in 2009. Rolling Stone called the movie "the year’s most praised rock doc." The band played “Cat Scratch Fever” with Slash and Anthrax’s Scott Ian at the Sundance Film Festival where the movie premiered.
In 2009, Bantam Press released the book Anvil: The Story of Anvil authored by Kudlow and Reiner with a foreword by Slash. On March 28, 2009 Kudlow and Reiner were the featured guests on VH1 Classic's That Metal Show. From June to July 2010, Anvil went on a tour of Europe, selling out venues in the UK, Spain, Belgium, Switzerland, Germany, and the Netherlands, as well as festivals in Finland, Sweden, France, Italy and Germany.
The band released 'Juggernaut of Justice', their 14th studio album, on May 10, 2011, care of The End Records. Following the release of the album the band completed yet more tours in Europe and North America, often playing alongside artists such as Alice Cooper and Saxon. The band released a new greatest hits album Monument of Metal: The Very Best of Anvil. Anvil also started re-releasing their old material, starting with Strength of Steel, Pound For Pound, and Worth the Weight later that same year.
In January 2012, bassist Glenn Gyorffy quit Anvil, citing creative differences. He was replaced by Sal Italiano, late of Iron Maiden tribute band Live After Death. Anvil embarked on a 2012 Winter Tour of the US and, in May 2013, released 'Hope in Hell', a studio recording produced by Bob Marlette. At this point, the band had signed with Steamhammer, which would release its next two albums. Anvil toured to promote the new album; they opened for Metallica in Singapore, played Wacken Open Air in Germany, swung through Australia and, in 2014, went on an extensive US tour. In 2014, Raven Banner Entertainment released Louder Than Hell: Wacken, The Movie, a collector's edition DVD of the Wacken concert, featuring Alice Cooper, Anthrax, Anvil, Annihilator, Deep Purple, Henry Rollins, Lamb of God, Motörhead, Rammstein and Trivium. Also in 2014, Anvil parted ways with Sal Italiano and replaced him with Chris Robertson, who was already acting as the band's rehearsal bassist and a member of their road crew.
The album 'Anvil Is Anvil' was released on February 26, 2016; the band toured Europe and Japan in support of it. Anvil continued touring as its seventeenth album, 'Pounding the Pavement', was released on January 19, 2018. Anvil's 18th album, 'Legal at Last', was released on February 14, 2020 by AFM Records. Anvil will be releasing their 19th studio album 'Impact Is Imminent' in May 2022.
2) - Anvil is a1970s German heavy prog psych band, including:
Winfried Borchardt (drums)
Jürgen Ceynowa (bass)
Udo Kamps (rhythm guitar)
Wolfgang Müllers (lead guitar, vocals)
Winfried Zastrau (keyboards, vocals)
Their Mr. Music Man released in 1979, must be one of the last forgotten Krautrock obscurities from the '70.
Thumb Hang
Anvil Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Beware the names on the inquisitor's list
Trial by fire, the holy desire
Religion and rule can be so cruel
[Chorus]
All in the name of the cross
Thumbhang
Word of the Pope, the loss of all hope
Manipulation is here, governed by fear
[Chorus]
Mounted on horses, inquisitors ride
At the end of their spears the heathens died
Forced to confess they prayed as the lied
Prayed as they lied
Tortured and prisoned and sentenced to die
When it's the Church you weren't meant, meant to defy
[?], state of control
Money to steal, government's deal
Tortured and shamed, who could be blamed?
Using the cross, the lives that were lost
All in the name of God
Thumbhang [Repeat x5]
The lyrics of Anvil's song Thumb Hang describe the brutal methods used by the inquisitors during the Spanish Inquisition to force confessions from those deemed heretical. The song talks about how people were subjected to torture like thumb hanging, a practice where weights were added to a person's dangling thumbs, causing excruciating pain. The lyrics ask if one can resist the pain and also warn of the names on the inquisitor's list, which could ultimately lead to torture and death. The chorus emphasizes the religious motive behind these barbaric practices, done in the "name of the cross."
The second verse references the word of the Pope and how people lost hope. It also mentions manipulation through fear and how religion and rule can be cruel. The next lines describe how inquisitors rode horses and killed the heathens at the end of their spears. People were forced to confess and pray as they lied, having some hope that their confessions and prayers might save them. However, they were only subjected to more torture and punished with imprisonment and death. The verse highlights the power of the Church and the fear it instilled in people.
The final verse talks about how the Church was used as a means of control, with government deals and money to steal. The people who were tortured and shamed could not be blamed, as the Church used the cross to justify the loss of lives. The final repeat of the chorus asks the listener to think about the atrocities committed in the name of God.
Line by Line Meaning
Thumbs will twist, can you resist?
The inquisitor will twist your thumbs and cause you great pain, can you withstand it?
Beware the names on the inquisitor's list
Be cautious of the list of names the inquisitor has, as they may be the next victims.
Trial by fire, the holy desire
to prove someone's innocence or guilt, they will be condemned to death by fire as a sacred mission.
Religion and rule can be so cruel
Implementing religion to control the population can be brutal and unjust.
All in the name of the cross
Everything done was to support and glorify the church's beliefs and practices.
Word of the Pope, the loss of all hope
The head of the Church's teachings have the power to break people's confidence and aspirations.
Manipulation is here, governed by fear
Through intimidation, people can be manipulated to obey the Church's authority unquestionably.
Mounted on horses, inquisitors ride
The inquisitor's patrol on horseback to arrest and persecute those deemed guilty by the Church.
At the end of their spears the heathens died
The inquisitors use their weapon of choice to kill those who do not convert to Christianity.
Forced to confess they prayed as the lied
To avoid torture and death, people would falsely admit to their 'crimes' and pray to God for forgiveness.
Tortured and prisoned and sentenced to die
Those captured were tortured and locked up with a death sentence already imposed on them.
When it's the Church you weren't meant, meant to defy
If someone goes against the Church's rules, it could lead to their punishment even if that was not their intention.
[?], state of control
The Church gained so much authority that it controls what happens in society.
Money to steal, government's deal
The Church has made deals with governments and obtained financial gain by exploiting the people.
Tortured and shamed, who could be blamed?
Victims were beaten up and made to feel humiliated with no one to blame for their misfortunes.
Using the cross, the lives that were lost
The symbol of Christianity was used to end people's lives.
All in the name of God
All the actions performed, however cruel, were to pay tribute to God's word and always attributed to God's salvation.
Thumbhang [Repeat x5]
The repeated use of 'Thumbhang' signifies the pain that the individual experiences when their thumbs were twisted by the inquisitors.
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing
Written by: ROBB GEZA REINER, STEVEN BARRY KUDLOW
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Amber Rogers
The documentary brought me here. Haha love how in the cafe you can see them remember the song and piece it together. Real people, real music. Much love
John Roberts
Are you the beatest???
Gustavo
I just watched the documentary on Netflix and those guys touched my heart, the perfect mix of metal and love.... so here I am. Long live Anvil
It’s A Wonderful Knife
Amber Rogers Made me think of the scene in This is Spinal Tap when they’re doing the exact same thing in the café remembering All the Way Home. Lol. Toronto boy here, been listening to Anvil since the 80’s. Great band, great guys.
richardkaneferguson
black sabbath wish they wrote that opening riff!
Kako Almeida
Pretty good for a first song. This band is fucking awesome.
Uncle Jack Luminous
They actually started out in the seventies, shortly after Motõrhead formed...
Rachel Sitko
This is the very first song the band wrote together. It was never recorded until their 2007 record, though, if I'm not mistaken.
Joseph Felker
They've been around since the 80's
Trollester
Doomy as hell, overall I love this riff.