Anvil is the Cinderella of heavy metal.

Despite having the looks, sound and ambition of its more popular sisters such as Metallica, Motörhead and Black Sabbath, Anvil never quite managed to achieve the same status as those early-heavy metal groups.

But vocalist and guitarist Steve “Lips” Kudlow prefers to think about what went right, even though many have been quick to ask “What went wrong?”

Anvil helped pioneer heavy metal as a genre several decades ago. But unlike Metallica or Black Sabbath, the group was never immortalized for its work. Still, that hasn’t kept it from keeping on — both in the studio, with 14 albums, and on the road. Courtesy Dalila Kriheli

“We did what we wanted to do and did it the way we wanted to do it all along, and that bears a lot of weight,” he said. “It holds a lot of water with the people that follow that kind of music.”

Doing it his way came with its own share of troubles, however: Kudlow and drummer Robb Reiner are the only founding members still with the band, with the most recent replacement bassist, Sal Italiano, stepping in less than a month ago.

“Usually as far as changing goes … everything stays basically the same,” Kudlow said. “It’s not like they’re destroying us, they’re dependent on us if you think about it. Part of it is being able to recognize what’s in ourselves for the moment and that’s a very important aspect.”

Despite 30 years of conflict and changing lineups, Anvil’s music has stayed true to its original fast-paced, leather-wearing rocker image.

Even its recent albums, Kudlow said, sound “not much different” than those written decades ago.

“It’s still the same guy writing,” he said, “And how much have I changed? Not a lot. I got a bit of a hole in my haircut, but beyond that I’m still the same guy.”

The documentary “Anvil! The Story of Anvil” — playing today at Ciné — emphasizes Kudlow’s bottom line: staying strong and never “selling out” is more important to him than fame and fortune.

“Our tradition is staying underground but with a very, very strong musical reference point,” he said. “Here we are 30-something years later with no commercial hits but 14 albums. It’s pure metal.”

And with obscene song titles such as “Bullshit” and “Show Me Your Tits,” Kudlow is neither surprised nor disappointed that the radio never caught on to Anvil the way it did with Metallica.

“That’s part of the Anvil thing,” he said. “It’s something that’s really catchy and could have been on the radio, but not with the lyrics we wrote. But the arrangement is catchy and memorable so it keeps on point with our tradition.”

Comparing his musical career to “living, breathing and eating,” Kudlow’s devotion to the band is best described in one word: perseverance.

“From the musician’s perspective, the job is never finished,” he said. “It’s never over unless you decide it is. Its not about how big, successful or unsuccessful it is — the job remains the same. You gotta write more music.”

And with no shortage of determination and dedication, Kudlow continues to write “pure metal” and perform around the world. There are no signs of stopping in the newly-formed trio’s future.

“For us it’s a way of life that’ll continue on,” he said. “It’s an artistic goal, creating and doing things you’ve never done before, to broaden your horizons and push yourself to higher and higher heights — it’s about continuance. What else can I say?”

ANVIL

Where: The Melting Point

When: Friday at 10:30 p.m.

Price: $12 (adv.), $15