Speaking of Anvil, the underachieving Canadian heavy metal band and the amazing documentary about their band’s uphill career, “Anvil! The Story of Anvil,” which comes out April 10 in the U.S. in limited release, the book is coming out too. It’s an autobiography and it’s written by the two founding members and childhood friends, Steve ‘Lips’ Kudlow and Robb Reiner.
Directed by Sacha Gervasi, these two guys are such unbelievable characters, during the filming of the movie one of the cameramen actually pulled Gervasi aside and asked him quietly, “Look, you can tell me, I won’t say, but these guys are actually paid actors, no?” God, that anecdote (which Gervasi told us at BAM in Brooklyn after a screening mid last year), always cracks us up.
It’s already available for pre-order in the U.K. and comes out via Bantam Press on March 12.
Here’s the synopsis:
At fourteen, Toronto school friends Steve ‘Lips’ Kudlow and Robb Reiner made a pact to rock together forever. Forming their band ‘Anvil’ they went on to become the ‘demi-gods of Canadian metal’, releasing one of the heaviest albums in metal history, 1982’s “Metal on Metal”. The album influenced a musical generation including the world-dominating bands Metallica, Slayer and Anthrax, all of whom went on to sell millions of records. Anvil’s career would take a different path, however, as they slipped straight into obscurity…Almost thirty years later Lips and Robb, our unlikely musical heroes, are still chasing their dream.”Anvil! The Story of Anvil”, their autobiography, follows the ups and down of their career and their volatile friendship (which has now spanned almost four decades), reveals their dedication and unadulterated passion for their music, and carries us along on their last-ditch quest for fame and fortune. Based on Sacha Gervasi’s award-winning film of the same name, and published to coincide with its worldwide release, this hilarious yet poignant book reminds us that if you believe in yourself, stick by your friends and never give up, you really can make your dreams come true. You cannot fail to be moved by this story. Anvil rock!
The U.S. release date will be announced next week and should coincide with the April 10 theatrical release. Someone send us a copy, we can’t wait to read it. The documentary has already won a heap of praise and has won the Audience Award at the Los Angeles Film Festival in June of 2008.
