Anvil – Monument Of Metal

With the attention Anvil has received since their documentary Anvil: The Story of Anvil was released a few years ago, the time was ripe for another "best of" package. Monument of Metal is a 19-song anthology that spans the band's 30-year career, featuring songs from Hard 'N' Heavy all the way through their latest, Juggernaut of Justice.

The albums Metal On Metal and This Is Thirteen get the most coverage in this collection, with 7 of the 19 songs. The rest of the anthology cherry picks highlights from throughout the band's career, even the `90s stuff that almost no one bought. You get one live song ("Jackhammer"), and some key Anvil classics ("Metal on Metal," "Winged Assassins" and "School Love") are actually newer re-recordings instead of the original versions, which is a disappointment.

It's probably not going to satisfy the die-hard Anvil fans, but Monument of Metal is a solid, affordable collection for those who only recently discovered the band and are looking for a crash course in Anvil history. It's also an ideal compilation for those of us who like the band's sound, but don't love Anvil enough to buy all of their studio albums.