The first of two
Anvil offerings originally released on Metal Blade,
Strength of Steel signaled the decline of this once-promising Canadian outfit. The band's eroding commitment to heaviness may have been due to increasing commercial and legal concerns that followed their long period without a record contract. The second to last disc from
Anvil to feature the Toronto act's original lineup,
Strength of Steel is a collection of plodding, seriously fatigued metal. A comical video for "Mad Dog" brought
Anvil some much needed MTV exposure, but like many
Strength of Steel numbers, the song was so comical and cliché-ridden, very few fans in post-
Metallica America could take it seriously. Although the group continued recording for over 15 years, it became clear after
Strength of Steel that
Anvil would never make a large dent in the metal marketplace. ~ Vincent Jeffries