Forged in Fire

Caught somewhere between the sound of NWOBHM and the more aggressive speed metal genre, Forged in Fire is perhaps the most accomplished and successful offering from Canada's Anvil. Slightly more refined, but not at all compromising, this record helped Anvil build on the solid following that had arisen for the group's fast-paced and aggressive early material. With their original lineup intact (Robb Reiner on drums, Dave Allison on guitar, Steve "Lips" Kudlow Lips on vocals/guitar, and Ian Dickson on bass) the quartet delivered the tightest performances to that point in the group's still-short history. A Judas Priest/Iron Maiden influence is detectable on tracks like "Future Wars," and the band also presented more forward-looking and angular near-thrash on faster numbers like "Shadow Zone." Other standouts include the epic staccato guitar riffing on cuts like "Free as the Wind." While not exactly an important release for its genre, Forged in Fire might be the quintessential release for a very capable, but not essential, '80s metal band.