Consistently releasing albums since the 1980's, Anvil is certainly "Still Going Strong" in 2002 with their latest release simply titled Still Going Strong. Simply stated, these guys are still kicking ass after fifteen years.

Anvil doesn't try to innovate or offer anything new, but they do a hell of a job at what they do: old school thrash metal. This album features heavy riffing and furiously fast, yet intricate soloing to please fans who really enjoy guitar heavy albums. While the bay area thrash sound of this album is reminiscent of bands such as Exodus and Megadeth, the Reflections of a Shadow album of Rage comes to mind more than once while listening to this album, especially in the lead vocal aspect of the sound. The guitars are very heavy and compose the forefront of the sound, exactly as they should be. The drumming is tight and super intense, providing a solid backbone to this killer heavy metal assault.

As per the overall sound of the album, the production and mixing jobs are excellent without sounding too polished. The guitars are very crunchy and also very loud, but not enough to drown out the rest of the band. The album is quite consistent in that the songs themsleves maintain a high level of quality from start to finish. There are no filler tracks and each song is delivered with fierce energy and guts. Also, you will find plenty of catchy moments throughout the album without sacrificing a bit aggressiveness. The album clocks in at just over 42 minutes, but it is certainly a very solid 42 minutes.

I encourage any fan of the traditional bay area thrash sound, or any metal fans that likes lots of loud and intense guitar work to check this album out. There aren't too many bands out there staying true to the classic bay area sound these days, and it's good to see that Anvil is carrying the flame in fine form. Great job guys!