ANVIL Announces 17-Date U.K. Tour In March 2020

Canadian metal legends ANVIL will return to the U.K. for a 17-date tour in March 2020.

ANVIL, a Toronto-based group, was formed in 1978 by childhood friends, guitarist/vocalist Steve "Lips" Kudlow and drummer Robb Reiner. Both came from Jewish families and had been playing music together since their teens. ANVIL is considered to have been an influence on many metal bands, including METALLICA, MEGADETH, SLAYER and ANTHRAX.

Though initially a four-piece band, ANVIL's current lineup includes Kudlow, Reiner and bassist Chris Robertson.

ANVIL gained popularity and new fans since the 2008 theatrical documentary, "Anvil: The Story Of Anvil", which is currently available on Netflix.

ANVIL March 2020 U.K. tour dates:

March 04 - Bannermans, Edinburgh
March 05 - Flowerpot, Derby
March 06 - Tivoli, Buckley
March 07 - Nightrain, Bradford
March 08 - Craufurd Arms, Milton Keynes
March 09 - Academy3, Manchester
March 11 - Limelight 2, Belfast
March 12 - Voodoo Lounge, Dublin
March 13 - Queens Hall, Nuneaton
March 14 - Lantern, Halifax
March 15 - Cobblestones, Bridgwater
March 17 - Level 3, Swindon
March 18 - Exchange, Bristol
March 19 - The Haunt, Brighton
March 20 - The 1865, Southampton
March 21 - O2 Academy, Islington
March 22 - Y Llew Coch & Y Plas Machynlleth

ANVIL will enter Soundlodge studios in Rhauderfehn in the northwest of Germany in October to begin recording its new album for a 2020 release. Speaking about the new disc's musical direction, Reiner told The Metal Voice: "It's just a continuation of what we've been doing for the last four or five years, really. Some very powerful riffs. It's gonna be more smashing, crushing ANVIL."

Added Kudlow: "Of course, it's all fresh and new, but the roots are still very much ourselves. Everybody who liked us before is gonna like us still, and people who didn't like us are still not gonna like us. Ultimately, that's where it's gonna sit, 'cause I am not gonna tailor my music and my songs to the people that don't like us and hope that they will. I'm gonna do the exact opposite. The people that love us, they wanna hear specific kind of tempos and riffs, and I look for those things, 'cause it's really my vocabulary, and I'm gonna continue with that — with new subjects and new things to sing about."

He continued: "I think that this album has some of the best slow pounders and some of the best fast stuff that we've ever done. You're trying to be different 'cause you don't want it to be exactly the same, 'cause then you're just repeating yourself — you're not being creative."

During the same chat, Kudlow and Reiner also revealed that ANVIL has inked a new record deal for the release of the upcoming album.

"Everything is gonna be fresh and new and off to a new start," Lips said. "And I think it will be a better start. I'm anticipating it to be a much better start. All this stuff that's attached to our management, including our production team — all that was connected. The only thing that wasn't connected was the record deal, and now I would say that it's more in line with who our management is used to dealing with. That's a better place to be. Now everything is in the same camp."