Anvil brings the metal to Vintage Vinyl

Anvil! The photo of Anvil. (Credit: File Photo)

There are few bands so hard-rocking that they need two days for an in-store event. But then again, Anvil doesn't have a whole lot in common with most bands.

The hard-driving Canadian metal outfit will be celebrated with two days of events at north Jersey music mecca Vintage Vinyl, located on Lafayette Road in the Fords section of Woodbridge.

For anyone not in the know, Anvil have been pounding out the jams since their 1981 debut album, "Hard and Heavy," and spent the 80s rocking crowds around the world and sharing the stage with the likes of Bon Jovi, Motorhead, Scorpions and Whitesnake.

However, for years it seemed like the band would be relegated to the back pages of heavy metal lore until earlier this year, when writer, director and Anvil fan Sacha Gervasi brought the world "Anvil! The Story of Anvil," a documentary chronicling the trials and tribulations of the band's long-suffering members, lead singer Lips and drummer Robb Reiner (insert "This is Spinal Tap" joke here.)

"What a sad, funny, inspiring story," Metromix movie critic Matt Pais wrote in his review of the film. "Even those who hate metal may appreciate the form when seeing these guys' commitment to each other and to the music, and the supportive families who understand how important it is to Lips and Reiner. ... The movie rivals ‘The Wrestler' in its look at middle-aged dignity, dreams and disappointments."

For anyone who didn't catch "Anvil! The Story of Anvil" in theaters, Vintage Vinyl will be screening the movie for free at 7 p.m. on Friday (Sept. 25).

The band themselves will be in the house on Sunday (Sept. 27) for an in-store performance and signing at 2 p.m. Fans who pre-order Anvil's newest album, the recently re-released "This is Thirteen," on the Vintage Vinyl Web site will get a wristband for entrance to the performance. With the wristband, Anvil fans can also pre-order "Anvil!" on DVD. For more information, visit Vintage Vinyl's official Web site.