ANVIL's 'Metal' Tops 'Digital' Chart In Sweden, Lands At No. 4 On Overall List

December 26, 2010

ANVIL's classic 1982 song "Metal On Metal" landed at position No. 4 on Sweden's official single chart for the week ending December 24 after a Facebook campaign was launched by the band's Swedish fans to put the track at the top of the chart in time for Christmas. The song — which has **not** been released as a CD single — also made it to No. 1 on the "Digilistan" chart, which ranks the best-selling digital tracks in Sweden, according to Nielsen SoundScan. Dubbed "Anvil Aid", the campaign was started "out of love for and devotion to the band," and was meant to prevent yet another insipid song from the "Idol" reality show and singing competition from hitting No. 1.

In a recent interview with Bandit Rock, the biggest rock radio station in Sweden, ANVIL guitarist/vocalist Steve "Lips" Kudlow stated about the "Anvil Aid" campaign, "It's pretty amazing, really — incredible."

He added, "The song probably should have been a huge song and success in its day, but we were way, way ahead of the curve, so to speak, and the label and the management and everything that was involved around us, it was much like an ant pushing the Empire State Building — it just wasn't gonna happen. So it's extraordinary to hear something like this — it's really fantastic. I don't know what else to say.

"It's not about money. It's really about hard work, determination and getting the reward.

"I think what actually triggered it is... And it's not unusual, in a certain sense. It's sort of an opposite attraction. I think that people get really bored with the mundane aspect of what radio is about, what publicity in general [is like] — for music, for movies, [where] there is a lot of hype and very little substance. And I think what people discovered, particularly through the movie [the acclaimed ANVIL documentary 'Anvil! The Story Of Anvil'], is that we have a whole lot of substance, but not the success that should have come with it. And I just think that people just want to right a wrong.

"You can look at bands that sell millions of records, but for the most part they don't really have the influential edge, and I think that people wanna see something that had an influential edge succeed and go far beyond all the trite kind of music, stuff like Christmas carols and sort of sappy love songs and stuff like that. It's time for something different. Let's shake up the tree."

Interview (audio):

RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE's "Killing In The Name" topped the U.K. chart last year following a Facebook campign which was widely seen as a backlash against the manufactured, disposable pop promoted by shows like "The X Factor" and "American Idol".

ANVIL recently signed a new contract with The End Records. The band has just finished recording its new album, entitled "Juggernaut of Justice", at Dave Grohl's (NIRVANA, FOO FIGHTERS) Studio 606 in Northridge, California with famed producer Bob Marlette (BLACK SABBATH, AIRBOURNE, FILTER, ATREYU, ALICE COOPER). A spring 2011 relase is expected. Prior to the arrival of the new CD, The End will release the definitive ANVIL anthology. The collection will be comprised of classics old and new, with some surprises, and will showcase the band's entire career spanning back to 1978.

Find more on
  • facebook
  • twitter
  • reddit
  • email

Comments Disclaimer And Information

BLABBERMOUTH.NET uses the Facebook Comments plugin to let people comment on content on the site using their Facebook account. The comments reside on Facebook servers and are not stored on BLABBERMOUTH.NET. To comment on a BLABBERMOUTH.NET story or review, you must be logged in to an active personal account on Facebook. Once you're logged in, you will be able to comment. User comments or postings do not reflect the viewpoint of BLABBERMOUTH.NET and BLABBERMOUTH.NET does not endorse, or guarantee the accuracy of, any user comment. To report spam or any abusive, obscene, defamatory, racist, homophobic or threatening comments, or anything that may violate any applicable laws, use the "Report to Facebook" and "Mark as spam" links that appear next to the comments themselves. To do so, click the downward arrow on the top-right corner of the Facebook comment (the arrow is invisible until you roll over it) and select the appropriate action. You can also send an e-mail to blabbermouthinbox(@)gmail.com with pertinent details. BLABBERMOUTH.NET reserves the right to "hide" comments that may be considered offensive, illegal or inappropriate and to "ban" users that violate the site's Terms Of Service. Hidden comments will still appear to the user and to the user's Facebook friends. If a new comment is published from a "banned" user or contains a blacklisted word, this comment will automatically have limited visibility (the "banned" user's comments will only be visible to the user and the user's Facebook friends).