When
Anvil decided to call this 2004 release
Back to Basics, they weren't just being rhetorical. Some of
Anvil's late-'90s releases found the veteran headbangers trying to change with the times and experiment with alternative metal, but 2001's
Plenty of Power marked a stylistic return to the
Anvil of the early '80s -- and the Canadians continue in that back-to-our-roots vein on
Back to Basics. By getting away from alt-metal trends,
Anvil risks being accused of having a dated sound. But what is dated to some is classic to others, and admirers of
Anvil's early albums will crave the melodic yet hard-hitting attack of tunes like "The Chainsaw," "Bottom Feeder" and "Fuel for the Fire." This album isn't the least bit groundbreaking by 2004 standards --
Back to Basics doesn't pretend to go after fans of
Korn,
Mushroomhead,
Sevendust or
Nothingface -- but that doesn't make the disc any less appealing. Stylistically,
Back to Basics is best described as power metal with hints of very early speed metal at times;
Judas Priest and
Ronnie James Dio are influences, and so is
Motörhead (which was arguably the first thrash metal/speed metal band). One can think of
Back to Basics as
Anvil's 26th anniversary CD; the band was formed in 1978, and this release demonstrates that
Anvil can still be exciting after more than a quarter of a century.
Back to Basics falls short of essential and isn't quite in a class with
Anvil's best early-'80s output, but it's a decent, respectable outing that the group's longtime followers will appreciate. (Note: the initial pressing of
Back to Basics contained a bonus DVD titled Live at Wacken 1998). ~ Alex Henderson