Anvil Announces Pounding The Past 2026 Tour Across North America

Robb Reiner has been pounding the kit for Anvil since the Toronto band formed in 1978, and this summer he'll be doing it across twenty North American stages. Anvil announced their "Pounding The Past 2026" tour on March 16, a June-July run that opens at Pineapple Jack's in Rochester, New York on June 3 and closes July 11 in Toledo, Ohio.

The setlist focus is squarely on the band's foundational records: Hard 'N' Heavy (1981), Metal on Metal (1982), and Forged in Fire (1983), along with other classics from across their catalog. The band's own announcement described the performances as including "Favourites from the first Four Classic releases," though press coverage has consistently cited the first three albums by name. Whichever way that count ultimately lands, the intent is clear: this is a deep dive into the era when Anvil were quietly laying the groundwork for what Metallica, Slayer, and Anthrax would eventually build into mainstream dominance.

Support on every date comes from Midnite Hellion, a New Jersey heavy metal band formed in 2011 by drummer Drew Rizzo. Their sound has been described as a "time traveling" blend of classic NWOBHM with aggressive thrash and doom elements, which makes them a logical fit alongside Anvil's foundational approach to the genre. Blabbermouth tagged them "East Coast metal wolves" in their initial coverage.

The confirmed June itinerary moves through the Midwest, Texas, the Southwest, and up the West Coast before crossing into British Columbia. After Chicago's WC Social Club on June 5 and a stop at the Bottleneck in Lawrence, Kansas on June 7, the tour swings through Austin's Come And Take It Live on June 10, then through El Paso, Tucson, and Las Vegas before hitting Southern California. The Los Angeles date lands June 18 at The Moroccan Lounge, followed by Palmdale, Santa Rosa, and Sacramento before the Pacific Northwest stretch: Dante's in Portland on June 24, El Corazon in Seattle on June 25 (doors at 8:00 pm, 21+), and then three British Columbia shows at The Chill House in Chilliwack, the Astoria in Vancouver, and The Phoenix in Victoria on June 26-28.

The July portion of the tour, culminating in Toledo, has not been fully detailed in available itineraries, with no venue confirmed for the final date yet.

For a band often described as "the unluckiest band in rock," Anvil has shown remarkable endurance. The 2008 documentary Anvil! The Story of Anvil, which followed founding members Steve "Lips" Kudlow and Reiner working day jobs while refusing to quit, brought the band a second wave of attention and a wider audience that has sustained them ever since. Tickets for select dates are available via Ticketmaster.