Definitely one of the best documentaries I have ever seen, possibly one of the best movies I will see all year, Anvil: The Story Of Anvil, tells the story of Anvil (duh!) a heavy metal (duh!) band from Toronto, Ontario, Canaduh. Having had a brilliant, albeit brief, moment of success in the 1980s, Anvil was a bit ahead of their times, prefiguring the thrash "Big 4" of Anthrax, Megadeth, Metallica, and Slayer by mere months, and missing the meteoric rise to fame those bands enjoyed.

Instead, they rocked out to half-full pizza parlors and dive bars around Toronto, but founding members "Lips" Kudlow and Robb Reiner (real name, holy shit!) kept playing, releasing 14 studio and live albums across numerous labels over the two decades between their crowning moment at Tokyo Super Rock in 1983 and the filming of this movie in 2005. But their love of metal and each other hsa kept them going. The film chronicles their ill-fated 2005 European tour and the recording of, what they feel is, their best album in 20 years, This Is Thirteen.

If you haven't heard of the band (like I hadn't until this movie), the music is pretty spot-on 80s metal, which I love, and which is experiencing a bit of a rebirth through street culture interest in the images and lifestyle. See it with your tight bros and have an "I love you man" moment, if it's not too soft for you. Lyrics to songs like "Metal On Metal" and "Thumb Hang" will harden you back up real quick.

I'm trying to line up an interview with Lips (who showed up to the screening and was the nicest dude out) and maybe Robb and Dave 5, if they're into it. But, in the meantime, try and find the movie or bother the local theatre near you to pick it up.