Anvil’s Steve "Lips" Kudlow talks to Brian Rademacher of RockEyez as they discuss the new release Anvil Is Anvil.

Says Brian: “We talk about a few tracks on the disc such as “Dagger And Rum” (which the band invited fans in the studio to help out on the track) , “Up, Down, Sideways” and their new lyric video for “Die For A Lie”. We talk about the new release coming out with a double gatefold, clear vinyl, and printed inner sleeves and the sound quality between disc and vinyl. We talked about religion, God and life after death.”

Anvil have released a new lyric video for the song "Die For A Lie”, taken from their upcoming studio album Anvil Is Anvil.

Lips says about the song: "Even in modern times mankind has not found peace. We cling to ancient beliefs and wage wars against each other in the names of God. We still have no proof or solid scientific evidence that our beliefs are in fact truth or fact. Killing each other over theories of origin...We are still in our infancy as far as civilization is concerned. We are slowly discovering our true factual origins and eventually we will discover the truths. A truth that can't be denied is that people have lost the plot of what religion was supposed to be about....instead of spreading love and understanding we spread hate and ignorance...murdering each other because we believe one God and belief is better than another...when it all is likely bullshit!!!! Die for a lie.”

Drummer Robb Reiner adds: "“Die For A Lie”… musically is a perfect Anvil template out of the classic blueprints, fully charged with riffs only found with Anvil, and drum arrangements very unique to Anvil style and sound! Lyrically its suggested for all those who are in belief of handed down broken telephone lines (Religion)... take another look!"

You can see the video below:

Anvil Is Anvil. A self-confident statement. A band philosophy. And what’s more: a life motto. Anvil Is Anvil, that’s the title of their latest album. And the name says it all: an unambiguous, uncompromising recording, typical of this band. At the same time it’s fresh, occasionally surprising and generally exciting through and through. A stalwart metal manifesto by a band who stand for authenticity and credibility like few others in this fast-lived business.

“We’re sometimes criticised for never changing,” Lips explains. “But why should we change something we’re renowned for? Isn’t it much more important to stay faithful to yourself? To do what you do best? The idea behind our latest album is: we are what we are, and that’s how it’s going to stay!”

For all Anvil fans, this is the best news of the year. And the all-important date for 2016 has already been scheduled: Anvil Is Anvil will be released by Steamhammer/SPV on February 26th. So be sure to mark the day in your diary!

Because Anvil Is Anvil presents Lips, drummer Robb Reiner and their new bassist Chris Robertson in a thoroughly magic metal moment.

Lips: “Time will tell whether this album is the absolute pinnacle of our career. But I would already refer to it as 'gaining the momentum'. The year 2013 was a perfect new start for Anvil. We were touring, went on to write the new material, toured again and returned to compose some more. During that time, the new line-up gelled into a real unit. The arrival of Chris was just as significant for us as the film back in 2008. He helped me enormously with my vocal lines, which is why my voice sounds better than ever on stage and also in the studio.”

The same could be said of the new material. Anvil Is Anvil sounds all of one piece and presents the band’s amazing diversity, combined with their conscious loyalty to the compositional DNA of their own classics. “Die For A Lie” for example sounds like a contemporary version of “Jackhammer” and the stomping “Runaway Train” features the same directives as “Smoking Green”, only based on Kudlow’s present-day maturity.

“I practically graduated from the Bob Marlette University,” the Anvil frontman praises the American producer with whom the band recorded their 2011 release, Juggernaut Of Justice and Hope In Hell (2013). “Bob showed me how to write songs which really mean something. So when I started to compose this time around, I was perfectly groomed.”

Talking of which: Anvil Is Anvil was produced by Martin 'Mattes' Pfeiffer (U.D.O.) at the Redhead 4 Studios in Pulheim near Cologne, Germany. For Lips, whose family is Jewish, as is drummer Robb Reiner’s, it was a special moment to work with a German producer in a German studio.

“There’s a song on Anvil Is Anvil that’s called “Forgive Don't Forget”, which says everything about our attitude. Nobody is guilty of anything that happened before their time, especially since Germany has critically examined and come to terms with its own past. Anvil have always been welcome in Germany, even during difficult phases. When we think of Germany, we think of friends, not war criminals.”

Lips calls himself an idealist who takes a clear political stance with songs such as “Gun Control” and “Die For A Lie” and also denounces the ambiguous role of the church. He says: “Religion is frequently used to involve people in military conflict. Hate in the name of God – that’s just wrong!”

Yet Anvil Is Anvil not only touches on sensitive issues but also documents the band’s lust for life, their dynamic musical style and their absolute down-to-earthiness. When Lips delivers the line “Ace of Spades and the joker is wild” on “It's Your Move” with a surprisingly realistic Motörhead timbre, it proves his sense of humour and is an homage at the same time (“close friends with Lemmy since 1981, he is definitely part of the family”). And when Anvil invite their fans to the studio to join the choir on “Daggers And Rum”, it only shows the closeness between the musicians and their fans.

“We’ve never recorded a pirate metal shanty such as “Daggers & Rum” before. I’m sure this number will go down well on the upcoming tour.”

Regarding the cover Robb Reiner ads: "This time around, it was suggested I paint the cover art for the release by brother Lips, after I had come up with the concept and showing him study sketches drawn out. The simple straight to the point composition was much fun to render on canvas in oil. I spent about six weeks to complete it"

Anvil Is Anvil will be released on February 26th (worldwide excluding Japan) as a digipak version (+1 bonus track and poster), 2LP gatefold clear version and download.

Tracklisting:

“Daggers And Rum”
“Up, Down, Sideways”
“Gun Control”
“Die For A Lie”
“Runaway Train”
“Zombie Apocalypse”
“Its Your Move”
“Ambushed”
“Fire On The Highway”
“Run Like Hell”
“Forgive Don't Forget”
“Never Going To Stop” (bonus track digipak)

Anvil will embark on a massive European tour with Dirkschneider from February 18th - April 24th, followed by a US tour from May 12th - June 18th.

February
18 - Drammen, Norway - Union Scene
19 - Stavanger, Norway - Folken (Sold Out)
20 - Haugesund, Norway - Byscenen
21 - Bergen, Norway - Rick's
24 - Aarhus, Denmark - Train
25 - Malmö, Sweden - KB
26 - Gothenburg, Sweden - Trädgarn
27 - Sundsvall, Sweden - Folket Hus (Sold Out)
28 - Stockholm, Sweden - Fryshuset Klubben

March
1 - Helsinki, Finland - Tavastia
4 - Jyväskylä, Finland - Lutakko
5 - Vaasa, Finland - Rantasipi
8 - Tallin, Estonia - Factory
10 - Warsaw, Poland - Progresja
11 - Leipzig, Germany - Hellraiser
12 - Markneukirchen, Germany - Music Hall
13 - Ludwigsburg, Germany - Rockfabrik
16 - Istanbul, Turkey - Garajistanbul
17 - Sofia, Bulgaria - Music Jam Club
18 - Thessaloniki, Greece - Principal Club Theatre
19 - Athens, Greece - Gagariin 205
22 - Cologne, Germany - Essigfabrik
23 - Bochum, Germany - Zeche
25 - Ostrava, Czech Republic - Garage (Sold Out)
26 - Zlin, Czech Republic - Masters Of Rock Cafe
27 - Prague, Czech Republic - Meet Factory
29 - Budapest, Hungary - Barba Negra
31 - Munich, Germany - Backstage

April
1 - Burglengenfeld, Germany - VAZ
2 - Memmingen, Germany - Kaminwerk
3 - Pratteln, Switzerland - Z7
5 - Madrid, Spain - La Riviera
6 - Pamplona, Spain - Sala Totem
7 - Barcelona, Spain - Razzmatazz 2
12 - Tilburg, Netherlands - Dudok
13 - Manchester, England - Academy
14 - Newcastle, England - Riverside
15 - Sheffield, England - The Cooperation
16 - Buckley, England - Tivoli
17 - Norwich, England - Waterfront
18 - London, England - O2 Academy Islington
21 - Hamburg, Germany - Markthalle
22 - Heidelberg, Germany - Hallo 02
23 - Geiselwind, Germany - MusicHall
24 - Berlin, Germany - Postbahnhof

May
12 - Worcester, MA - Ralph'S
13 - Long Branch, NJ - Brighton Bar
14 - Brooklyn, NY - Black Bear
15 - Rochester, Ny - Bugjar
18 - Lombard, IL - Brauer House
20 - Denver, CO - 3 Kings
21 - Salt Lake City, UT - Metro Bar
26 - Spokane, WA - The Pin

June
1 - Los Angeles, CA - Whisky
2 - Las Vegas, NV - Vamps
3 - San Diego, CA - Brick By Brick
4 - Phoenix, AZ - Pub Rock
9 - Dallas, TX - Gas Monkey
11 - Austin, TX - Cowboy Harley Davidson
12 - New Orleans, LA - Southport Music Hall
15 - Atlanta, GA - The Earl
16 - Newport, KY - Southgate House
17 - Indianapolis, IN - 5Th Quarter
18 - Cleveland, OH - The Foundry