1982 debut album for Canadian speed metal pioneers. Ten tracks.
CD Reviews
Nuge-a-delic
Woodrow | Brooklyn, NY United States | 06/20/2008
(4 out of 5 stars)
"I love Anvil. This album isn't really metal, more hard rock. Tons of gonzoid Nugent style solos. Tons of energy. Wait til you see the upcoming Anvil documentary (ANVIL! The story of Anvil). It's incredible, nothing like you're expecting.
Check out Mighty High...In Drug City."
Canadian Metal Gods Spectacular Debut Album
British Thunder 13 | Enola, PA USA | 11/01/2009
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Recorded in late 1980, "Hard 'N' Heavy" became the first album to be released by four young Canadian lads calling themselves Anvil. All the songs on this CD are very well put together. The band as a whole displays incredible talent throughout this CD. Reiner's drum playing is right there with the best that Metal has to offer, and the guitar and vocals performed by Lips are awesome. The songs are straight, in-your-face heavy metal. The lyrics are largely sexually driven, but not to a point that they are obscene by 21st century standards. The band does cover the Rolling Stones hit "Paint It Black", and while I admire the band for tackling such an iconic rock classic, I found it to be the weakest song on the CD. "Oh Jane" is the band's first attempt at a heavy metal ballad (of sorts), and they pull it off quite well, never once going too soft, and sticking with the extra-heavy, extra-loud core ingredients that make up this album.
"Hard 'N' Heavy" laid the foundation for Anvil to accellerate onto the early 1980's heavy metal mega-highway that encompassed bands like Metallica, Quiet Riot, and Iron Maiden. The band followed up this album with "Metal On Metal", which became the band's true classic album, containing many of the groups more sought after songs.
You won't be disappointed with this CD. It's a great disc to toss in, crank up, and rock out to. Though many of Anvil's quintessential songs were spawned from their second album, "Hard 'N' Heavy" remains as the band's bunker-busting debut album that is sure to please any heavy metal fan the world over."
Hard n Heavy
Gitters | Allendale, IL United States | 10/17/2009
(5 out of 5 stars)
"A debut album from the Candian band "Anvil". I purchased this after listening to "Metal on Metal". Another great album, Robb Reiner's a monster on the drums. I enjoyed the cover of "Paint it Black", kind of a weird choice, but at least they played it in their own style instead doing a carbon copy remake. If you've purchased other Anvil albums and enjoyed them, pick up Hard n Heavy too."
Canadian metal artifact
Bloodbath_and_Beyond | usa | 05/15/2009
(3 out of 5 stars)
"Anvil's 1981 debut album Hard 'N Heavy couldnt've carried them into metal stardom (thankfully they upgraded seriously for Metal On Metal). Although it does contain some decent tunes. The opener School Love features some amazing early era metal speed drumming via Robb Reiner, one of the pioneers of the style. A few other decent songs like AC/DC, the cover of Paint It Black round out the album, however the record features more Ted Nugent styled hard rock. I Want You (Both With Me) features second guitarist Dave Allison on vocals who would go on to have a song or two on every Anvil album following. This isn't a bad song by the way, as it introduces the a typical Anvil songwriting pattern, sex; and humorous sex as well. School Love's lyrics are quite ludicrous as one might expect, although for the early 80's it was pretty much the way bands wrote it however Anvil, to an extent, take rock star/groupie fascination to new heights (lows!). Years later though it stands up. Decent rockers like Hot Child and Bondage carry the record, as it contains more of a 70's boogie/glam hard rock feel. Although thats not to say that bands like Slade and even other mid 70's Canadian rockers like Moxy didn't have at least a small impact on the origins of metal in some way. Early pre Bon Scott era AC/DC was definite glam. The record isn't a complete failure by any means. It plays nicely the whole way through. For serious metal collectors, you should definetly own this. However the only songs that chalk up to the classics Anvil would churn out on Metal On Metal/Forged In Fire are School Love and Bedroom Game. Although the band's sheer energy and enthusiasm is a big help and will probably prevent most from switching this off early."
Track Listings (10) - Disc #1