Anvil Bitch: Thrash Metal Pioneers Return With “Age of Fear”
A conversation with vocalist Gary Capriotti on the band’s reunion, the legendary Philadelphia scene, and 40 years of underground tenacity.
So, Gary, it is a pleasure doing this interview with you. Now, tell me about your early years growing up, and what sort of kid were you? Did you have many friends, etc?
GC: Thanks for reaching out, Chris. been a while!! I grew up in the Tacony section of Philadelphia, a pretty tight Italian-Irish blue-collar neighbourhood. Growing up in the early 80s, I was an oddball with long hair, and a small group of good friends were all I needed.
The Dark Ages of Metal and The Exciter Mixtape
CF: So how did you come to discover the underground metal scene, and what were some of the early bands you heard and liked? Were you like me, and you just wanted more and more, sort of ike a drug, so to speak?
GC: At 13, I began as a guitarist, all about RR, Van Halen, etc My teacher gave me my first underground mixtape; the first track was “Stand Up and Fight” by Exciter, which changed everything for me.
CF: Tell me about the formation of Innocent Exile, which formed in the early 80’s with yourself, John Plumley (guitar), Chuck Stadulis (drums), and Dave Carr (bass). Did you go through many members before it got to this line-up?
GC: The band had just become AB when I joined, IE was before my time, and I believe they were fronted by Mike Hardigree then.
CF: At what point did you know you wanted to sing in a band, and did they have a singer, or did the 4 of you just come together?
GC: The path to it all was by Joe Coz (RIP). He was a mutual friend with Dave from school, and we all crossed paths at concerts. Joe took me to where they practised, and man, they were HEAVY 😂 He told me they were considering changing direction with singers, so I took a deep breath, went in, and gave it hell.
The Name Change and The Birth of the 1985 Demo
CF: Now, what were the early practices like? Did you guys hang out a lot, etc?
GC: Practices were at our future manager’s basement, and we quickly became a tight group as a band and friends. We were all still too young for bars, so we were all we had.
CF: Now, was any music recorded under this name, as I read you did various cover tunes live?
GC: If it exists, JP is the one to ask ha ha.
CF: Whose idea was it to switch your name to Anvil Bitch? How soon after the name switch did you decide it was time to go record a demo, as this is 1985 I am talking of?
GC: Almost positive it was Chuck. When I came aboard, IE was already moved on from, and we began a blend of covers and originals. I believe “Time to Die” and “To the Grave” were written when I arrived as well. We first recorded a 3-song demo with an Anthrax cover that Chuck sang. Think it was “Soldiers of Metal”. We just needed it for to gig. We returned to cut the original 4-song demo at the shop.
CF: How quickly did the 4 songs on the demo come together, and looking back, do you think it wasn’t bad for the time?
GC: With 2 songs at my arrival, it wasn’t long before the other 2 fell right in line. We were really getting after it.
The Mother’s Day Massacre: Thrash is Born in Philly
CF: So now did you guys know all about the underground at the time, besides the bands, like tape trading, fanzines, college radio, etc?
GC: Probably the most influential would’ve been Rock’ n Roll Heaven, no doubt. (store Johnny Z owned in NJ-chris). If anything even resembled metal, it was there. Pretty sure the guys got the 1st Overkill and Anthrax demos there. (I discovered fanzines there-chris)
CF: So what was the 1st underground show you went to, if you can remember?
GC: Couldn’t imagine anyone couldn’t lol for me it was Exciter/Merciful Fate/ Motörhead at the Tower Theatre in Philly. It’s where Joe Coz and I first met the guys in AB. (I was at that show too-chris)
CF: How did you end up getting Shawn Tierney for your management? Looking back, was it a good move for the band?
GC: It was Shawn’s house that AB rehearsed in, a corner row house in NE Philly, and was pretty much established in the role before my arrival. He was very dedicated to us, and for a teenager using nothing but educated guesses, I’d say he did pretty well. It was all new trail for us, learning as we went.
CF: Now, the only club doing metal shows back then in Phila, PA was the Empire Rock Club, which was on Sundays. Did you go there much at all back then, and did you start your friendship with Blacktask back then?
CG: Actually, metal shows began on Thursday nights, and over 21. Sunday, all age shows were just beginning, and honestly, not doing too well, because most of the bands that played on Thursdays couldn’t draw, no liquor, or not local. Management of ERC really wanted to convert to a sports bar, and was close to getting it, till we split a Sunday with Black Task, on Mother’s Day, if I recall, and packed the place, because we tapped the correct audience (all the high schools)!! A stroke of luck, being really young, at the right time.
CF: Did you sell many copies of your 1985 demo? What was the response like from the underground?
GC: Pretty positive, and thanks to all the support of fanzines, much like you, ( pretty much, you) ha ha, we moved a lot of copies, worldwide. Being able to sell some in underground stores was cool too.
Recording ‘Rise To Offend’: Self-Financed and Raw
CF: So in February of 1986, you released demo # 2, “Arsenic and Cyanide”. I assume this was the demo that your manager had sent out to labels, fanzines, etc. How was the morale of the band at this time?
GC: Demo 2 was definitely for shopping. With the live show response so big so quickly, morale was incredible.
CF: Now, later on in 1986, you released “Rise to Offend” on New Renaissance Records. Now, before I get to that, how much were you playing live, and what do you remember of those Empire shows with Blacktask at the Empire? They were wild, and I know because I was there ha ha?
CG: Well, as I said earlier, that 1st Sunday show on Mother’s Day with Blacktask really changed the whole dynamic between ERC management trying to kill it, the booking agent from Thursday night, COMPLETELY trying to keep us out. That show really started it all! And hell yeah, we see you all in the video of that show stage diving with no fear lol.
CF: Were you guys playing out live a lot back then?
CG: There wasn’t a lot of time to stop and think as we went from opening for Black Task to bands like Motorhead.
CF: So now you released “Rise To Offend” in 1986 on New Renaissance Records. Were there any other labels interested in the band that you know of?
GC: Can’t say for sure, I know we sent them everywhere, but I do remember NRR responding very quickly.
CF: Were you given a budget at all to record it? What studio did you go to, and how long were you in the studio for?
GC: We financed it ourselves and kept our publishing rights. We recorded at DAK Audio in Sellersville, PA. We tracked for a couple of weeks, and mixed over a weekend. We were very young and didn’t have much money, so we borrowed most of it from my dad lol.
CF: A lot of people back then used to complain about the NRR production on their releases. What are your thoughts on “Rise To Offend” these days?
GC: Well, NRR offered artists financial options, and I’m sure many did the same as us. As I recall, before we broke up, they offered to pick up the 2nd release. RTO was definitely not the best production, but this style of metal was still new, and not many options for experienced engineers.
Lamours, Touring, and The Craziest Fanbase
CF: Did you manage to do any type of touring behind the release, and what was the farthest you went during this time period?
CG: We toured much of the East Coast, again being young, and self-financed it was tough for us to pull off, but Chuck’s pickup truck, JP’s van, and 1 U-Haul trailer later and off we went.
CF: I am sure you played the famous Lamours in Brooklyn, NY, didn’t I?
CG: Man, yeah, we played there a lot. Definitely, most of our best shows were there, and without a doubt, they played a large role in our sales and popularity. When you get to share the stage with Overkill, Hades, King Diamond, Nuclear Assault, and Anthrax, you realise you’re really in it. Also allowed us to play with label mates Savage Thrust, and we headlined once with Gothic Slam…great times.
CF: What were the reviews and feedback from the fans like?
GC: Without question, the craziest fanbase around. The one place where you really did take a serious chance on the floor lol. But for us, the response was great, pretty sure that’s why they were kind enough to have us back so much; it became a home away from home.
CF: Overall, were you happy with NRR or not so happy with them during your time with the label?
GC: Well, they were definitely effective at promoting RTO wherever we toured, making sure to get radio play or set up radio interviews where we played. I think it’s safe to say they matched what we put into it.
Breakup, Dominance, and The Return of Anvil Bitch
CF: So, did you guys start on album # 2 before you broke up? Were any songs written or recorded?
GC: Yes, we pretty much had a second album in pre-production, which eventually became either Dominance songs or rewritten for AB.
CF: What caused you guys to break up? Was it nasty at all or more mutual?
GC: No, quite mutual. As many young musicians do, we had different ideas, and thrash began to grow into different styles that we wanted to pursue. But we still hung out, and either played shows together or just supported each other.
CF: Now I know 3 of the members went on to form the band Dominance in 1998. Were you asked to join or were you busy singing in Without Warning at the time?
GC: We talked about the future of AB, and had different ideas, and it came to the point where we no longer sounded right together, and so they found Chuck Miles, I found Without Warning, and everyone got what they needed. I’d say both bands were pretty good.
CF: So tell me the event or events that led you guys (Anvil Bitch) to getting back together, and this time you added a 5th member.
GC: John and Dave, along with Lance Walter and Larry TK, had a band called RTO, and were playing a show, and asked me to join in on playing “Maggot Infestation” at a gig, and it jumped from there.
CF: What were the early practices like, and how long before you knew all your old songs again?
GC: Can’t speak for anyone else, but kicking off the rust and getting back in shape was tough, but felt great, and blessed to be able to still do it. But, memory-wise, it was like riding a bike.
CF: I imagine you had a blast playing live again?
GC: Yes!! Especially playing with Whiplash and Morbid Saint, at a small bar in downtown Philly, but the place was jam-packed, and kids were slamming, definitely felt nostalgic!! (I was there too, it was an incredible show-chris)
New Music, Reissues, and The “Age of Fear”
CF: Now, how long had you been together when you wrote some new songs which became the “Sanctify” EP? How was the response to it when it was released?
GC: Everything Sanctify was written by JP, and pretty much brought them to the table day one. We played a couple of the songs at the first show of our return.
CF: Did you guys try to get signed by a record label around this time, or was it just that we would play some shows and have fun with no strings attached?
GC: Having fun was the priority; everything else was a bonus. We felt very confident in the new music, but really didn’t concern ourselves with contracts. Just having fun again was everything to us, seeing all the faces as well as new ones.
CF: So now you just released some new music, but before I talk about that, how does it feel to have High Roller Records re-release “Rise To Offend on vinyl and also Divebomb Records in the US is putting out 22 22-track “Rise To Offend” release that also includes your 1985 demo and your “Sanctify” release as bonus tracks. This is nearly 40 years ago when “Rise to Offend” came out. That must feel amazing, seeing stuff you released long, long, ago see the light of day again?
GC: Absolutely, it’s so hard to believe it’s been so long!! It was so well received, sold very quickly too!! Getting messages from new fans of the current metal scene around the world is a great feeling!! We’re very fortunate!!
CF: Now I know Metallica isn’t thrash metal anymore, but does it amaze you that here they are in 2025 selling out stadiums on multiple nights, no less?
GC: Not really, they’ve cemented themselves not just in metal, but music overall as the pioneers of a genre. Happens once in a lifetime, and they deserve every bit of it. They stand amongst the legends of rock.
CF: Do you guys still manage to play out live at all?
GC: Since “Sanctify” cooled off, it was time for life to get in the way again ha ha. Great time for writing, and JP (John Plumley) was very busy at it.
CF: Now, please fill me in on your brand new release “Age Of Fear”. How long ago was this recorded, and when were the songs written? Where can people purchase it?
GC: As I left off from the last question, JP stayed writing as always, and as funds would come in from other releases, we would track. This one was cooking for a while, and I only recently finished the mixdown. JP really snuck everyone, including the rest of the band, with Spotify and Apple releases. CD’s are just coming out now.
CF: So from now on, this is all just fun and no pressure at all, correct?
GC: It’s always been about fun without pressure, from the day we started till now. We were very fortunate to reach everything we have, we’re aware, and grateful for every bit of it.
The Most Unforgettable Bitch Moments
CF: What are some of your personal memories of the band over the years that stick out in your head?
GC: Our first gig was a battle of the bands tourney, at all places Chuck E Cheese’s (yes, you’re reading it right), and we were paired with a Christian metal band that wisely never showed up. We won by default and got the pizza lol
We once crashed into the Ohio River coming from Detroit, Michigan, on our way to hook up with Overkill and Suicidal Tendencies in Pittsburgh, PA. That was a close call.
But most of all, the Mother’s Day massacre show at the Empire Rock Club with/ Black Task was the official birth of thrash metal in Philly as a scene.
CF: For someone who has never heard the band before, how would you describe the band musically?
GC: That’s a good (and tough) question right there. We’ve always been influenced by Slayer, KISS and Motörhead for the most part, but categorically speaking, we’re an old school thrash metal band at heart.
CF: Please plug any websites or social media pages the band has, and where can someone pick up your new CD or any merchandise you might sell?
GC: Right now, our newest release, Age of Fear, is available on Spotify and iTunes, and we’re currently reworking our store for CDs, new merch, and our social media platforms are being built, and we’ll get that ball rolling.
CF: Gary, it was my pleasure taking you down memory lane and also what is up presently with the band. Horns up for the interview. Any last words to wrap this interview up?
GC: Yes, thank you for always being the presence in metal you’ve always been. Others have come and gone, you’ve been here since the start, supporting our entire scene, and wouldn’t be what it was, and is, without you. Thanks. And to anyone who’s graced us with your presence and time to share a moment, thank you all. I think I can safely say our story’s not over yet!!! See you all soon!!
