Anvil frontman Steve "Lips" Kudlow and stoic drummer Robb Reiner eye me with a certain measure of disdain when I ask them why they didn't enjoy the success of their 80's peers.
It quickly becomes apparent that they gauge the value of their unwavering efforts more in terms of music made, than money made. And to that end, they are giants of the sinister speed metal genre they helped spawn.
"We have been successful," stresses Reiner. "We've made 13 albums in (almost 30) years, so in our world we have been successful.
"In terms of (commercial success) we just weren't at the right time in the right place, having the right things in motion."
Joining forces as 14-year-old high-schoolers with a shared passion for auditory annihilation, they made a pact that they have stubbornly stuck to despite long stretches of frustration and financial folly --- to follow their dreams of rock n' roll stardom at all costs.
That arduous journey is dissected in
Anvil! The Story of Anvil, a raw documentary that presents the cult metal gods as conduits through which talented director Sascha Gervasi, a former roadie with the band in the 80s, explores universal themes of friendship, family, and above all else, the dreams that drive us, derail us, and whether we realize them or not, ultimately define us.
"We've been playing together since we were 14 or 15 years old...we're now in our 50's...most people, never mind playing in a band, but having a friend that long is a rarity. We've played in this band for most of our lives, it's our identity, you can't leave it. It's something that we cherish and love to do and there is no end to that. And we've always felt successful."
The film begins with footage from a Japanese Supertour in 1984, where Anvil play alongside bands like The Scorpions, Bon Jovi, and Whitesnake. Riding the wave of their biggest hit, Metal on Metal, they seem destined for similar platinum-selling stardom.
But in a cruel twist of fate they watch as the aforementioned bands become huge international stars, while their popularity fades after their first three album releases. Before long they are back home working menial jobs, all the while waiting for the break they so rightly deserve. In between they continue to play at small arenas and grungy bars.
"The same luck the same randomness that can make something successful can make something unsuccessful that's why none of it really makes much sense anyway," says Kudlow behind a vintage mess of metal hair.
Cameras follow the duo to their day jobs, which they candidly endure to make ends meet and more importantly, finance their musical endeavours and family obligations. A European tour seems promising, but turns out to be filled with more obstacles than encores --- they spend hours sprawled in foreign train stations, bicker with each other like bratty siblings, engage in blood-boiling disputes with shady European club managers who refuse to pay them, and end up playing most gigs before no more than a handful of die-hards.
They return home, continue to punch the clock, then they're back at it again, recording their 13th album with a respected producer. But when they can't find a label to release it, they are forced to do it themselves with borrowed cash.
The stress of their situation starts to weigh on them and their families, and despite receiving some major props from legends like Lemmy and Slash throughout the film, those closest to them begin to question the wisdom of continuing to follow the elusive dream they hatched as wiry teens.
Despite the many voices of so-called reason, there's little to debate for the determined duo.
"We just do it for the right reasons, for the love of the music, that's why we are still here, that's why we got here, that's why this movie got made, it's the music that got us here. And the movie is now showing the world what we've been doing, that's a great thing," Reiner told
CityNews.ca.
"You gotta believe in yourself to succeed in anything."
Some may call them delusional, but for Lips, it's the people who have given up on their dreams who have fooled themselves.
"You can drift through life and never face those realities that you let the best part of you go...we make those decisions, all of us make our own destinies, but some of us seem to think that everything just happened out of happenstance, actually you create your own reality. If you believe that you are going to be something and you are something special, then you are and that's the way it really works."
And so in the end, after decades desperately seeking a second chance that many never get, Anvil are suddenly household names again. A movie about their struggles has ironically paved a path to the stardom they've sought since they were teens.
No one will ever tell them to 'keep their day jobs' again --- they are back playing their music full time, and opportunities are ample.
"Fortunately we're not (working) anymore so it's good," confirms Reiner. "We're too busy rock and rolling."
"We went into this whole thing to show the world really what it's like to stay dedicated to something you really believe in. Which is yourself."
michael.talbot@citynews.ca