Canadian Metallers Anvil Release Cartoon Lyric Video For New Pro-Marijuana Song

Anvil, the veteran underdog Canadian metal band many people first discovered through the critically acclaimed 2008 documentary about the band, Anvil! The Story of Anvil, have recently uploaded a cartoon lyric video for their new pro-marijuana song, “Nabbed in Nebraska.”

The video opens with animated versions of the current lineup of Anvil, veteran guitarist/vocalist Steve "Lips" Kudlow, veteran drummer Robb Reiner, (not to be confused with the actor/director) and new guy bassist Chris Robertson performing their new song on stage.

The video then quickly transitions to the cartoon band driving down a highway in Nebraska in a tour van in a state of paranoia, since the band has weed on them, which could get them a misdemeanor fine for possession. The song is basically a pro-weed rant against American marijuana laws which vary from state to state, but now mostly consist of fines and forfeitures for small amounts for personal use. The song is based on a true story in which Anvil was given free marijuana from fans in Colorado and Oregon where marijuana is legal only to have it confiscated in Nebraska by the police.

Anvil's upcoming album, Legal At Last, scheduled for release on February 14, 2020, is decidedly pro-marijuana, celebrating the legalization of it in Canada which occurred in the Fall of 2018. The new album has hilarious cover artwork picturing what appears to be a female angel in Heaven smoking marijuana out of an Anvil shaped bong. It’s very much like something you would expect from the fictional heavy metal band Spinal Tap, which ironically was of course featured in the 1984 comedy This Is Spinal Tap, directed by Rob Reiner (not to be confused with the drummer in Anvil).
Like Spinal Tap, Anvil has questionable talent with some really cheesy lyrics and song titles in their catalog of music which dates back to 1981 with their first album Hard 'n' Heavy; unlike Spinal Tap, who were written as a once popular band that has sunk down into has-been status, Anvil have had no real commercial success at all.

Anvil just keep on cranking out albums in eternal hope of success, even though they often play gigs in front of dozens of people, not thousands or even hundreds, as seen in the aforementioned documentary about them.

I have experienced the Anvil phenomenon myself; on a whim I went and saw them in March 2017 at White Oak Music Hall where there were fewer than 2 dozen people in attendance. I have never attended a show with so few people in attendance, not even local bands. From the stage, Steve "Lips" Kudlow blamed lack of promotion for the small audience that night.

Despite that Anvil still put on a pretty good show for the few of us in attendance and I would recommend checking them out the next time they come to town if you are a metal fan; Kudlow has some pretty good stage raps and a good sense of humor. He told some interesting stories about touring with the late "Lemmy" Kilmister of Motorhead and yes he did say they did drugs together; I forgot what he said they did but I do remember it was something stronger than marijuana.

Kudlow jumped off the stage with his guitar and performed in the audience that night and both he and Reiner chatted with the fans for quite a bit after the show was over; people root for Anvil, like them, and loved the documentary about them because they are nice guys pursuing their dreams and you can’t shit all over them too much for that.

You can goof on them a bit though; it would be cool if Metallica, the biggest metal band in history who have cited Anvil as an early influence, would cover one of their songs to give them a steady cash flow so maybe they could quit their day jobs.