Year : 1985 (Ektro Records 25th Anniversary Edition 2010)
Style : Heavy Metal , Hard Rock
Country : Canada
Audio : 320 kbps + all scans
Size : 106 mb
Bio:
Thor started out as a concept band in 1973. They used the names "Thor", "Centaur" and "Mikl Body Rock". These entities were the brainchild of Jon Mikl Thor, a vocalist, musician and body building champion who won titles such as Mr. USA and Mr. World Canada.He decided to combine muscle with music. In every show Jon Mikl Thor would appear as "Thor The Rock Warrior". Mikl Body Rock aka "Thor" toured throughout North America seeking fame and to garner enough attention to secure a record deal. The press dubbed them "Kings of Muscle Rock" or "Warriors of Gladiator Rock".In 1976, Jon Mikl met guitarist Frank Soda while touring Canada. Frank Soda joined "Thor" who also became known as "Thor and The Imps". The band toured constantly in the Eastern USA and Canada region building a large following. The first album was recorded in Toronto, Ontario, Canada under the name Thor and was called Muscle Rock. Released by the independent label God Of Thunder Records, the record became a success, and gained the attention of various managers and producers who wanted to sign the act. Jon Mikl Thor was offered a large deal to star in a production at the Aladdin Resort & Casino in Las Vegas called 'Red Hot and Blue'. Frank Soda wanted to keep touring with the band, so Frank Soda and The Imps were formed. Jon Mikl Thor went on to star in Las Vegas and was discovered by Merv Griffin, who had Thor perform live on the Merv Griffin Show from Caesars Palace on national television. Thor's performance was a hit, and offers came in from various major labels. Thor decided to sign with RCA Records in late 1976.This new incarnation of Thor was formed in 1977 by Jon Mikl Thor and released their debut album Keep the Dogs Away.After much touring, Jon Mikl Thor resided in New York City. He formed a new band with backing members Rusty Hamilton aka Queen Pantera, Mike Favata, Jimmy Ambrose, James Whang and Keith Zazzi in 1983 and released the Unchained EP.The record, which was on Mongel Horde Records in the USA got picked up for distribution in England through Albion Records. The band travelled to London, England to perform at the Marquee Club and signed with Motörhead's manager Douglas Smith. In 1984, the band decided to live in the UK. Most of the time was spent at studios in London, writing and recording new material. The songs "Let the Blood Run Red" and "Thunder on the Tundra" became instant chart toppers with "Thunder on the Tundra" reaching number one on the British rock chart.The success of the singles soon led to 1985's album Only the Strong. Thor's stage performances involved antics such as Jon Mikl Thor breathing into hot water bottles until they burst, breaking bricks over his chest and head and bending steel bars and microphone stands.In 1986, Thor released Recruits – Wild in the Streets on GWR Records. The band would break up in 1987 and Jon Mikl entered the world of acting, starring in such movies as Recruits (1986, as Thunderhead), Zombie Nightmare (1987, as Tony Washington), and Rock 'n' Roll Nightmare (1987, as John Triton).Ten years later in 1997, the band released the compilation album Ride of the Chariots (An-Thor-Logy). Following this release the band returned with new material and in 1998 they released Thunderstruck (Tales from the Equinox),and have since released five additional albums.In 1999, a selection of songs from Keeping the Dogs Away were re-released on a split CD with Ontario metalcore band Coalition Against Shane through 13th Day Recordings.From 2000-2011, Thor continued to record, release albums and tour, building a larger following and connecting with a new generation. Albums released have been Dogz II (2000), Triumphant (2002), Beastwomen from the Centre of the Earth (2003), Are U Ready (2004), Thor Against the World (2005), Devastation of Musculation (2006), Into the Noise (2007), Steam Clock (2008) Sign of the V (2009), The Guardian (2010) and Soundtrack from the movie THOR - The Rock Opera (2011). Thor wrote the music for and were starring in the movie Thor - The Rock Opera. In 2009 Thor performed at the Sweden Rock Festival, Sauna Open Air Metal Festival in Tampere, Finland and the Muskelrock Festival (named after Thor and The Imps first EP Muscle Rock) in Alvesta, Sweden.
Album:
Long before the days of modern 'Frodo and the Ring' Power Metal, the genre was ruled by leather-clad muscle men who wrote about crushing skulls and destroying their enemies.Thor is one of the most prolific examples of early Power Metal, and 'Only the Strong' perfectly exemplifies all that he and his band stood for. As per usual, guitarist Steven Price solidifies his position as one of the most underrated guitarist / songwriters in Metal history, kicking the album off with a bang once the title track begins, and never once stopping the Metal assault until the album stops. "All Killer - No Filler" seems to be Thor's mantra on this album. Ballads - like faint-hearted wimps - are scorned, and even with this record's slightly more commercial approach when compared to Thor's previous work, the production quality is still subdued enough to keep things heavy.Highlights of the record - Knock 'em Down, Thunder on the Tundra, Let the Blood Run Red, Ride of the Chariots, and the title track - are not weighed down by vapid formulaic rock songs. To even pick highlights among such great song-writing does the album a bit of a disservice, actually, but these particular song stand out as particularly stellar. Even the intro track, which is a simple spoken-word narration that sets the theme for the album, is every bit as good as the spoken intros done for Manowar's 'Dark Avenger' or even Iron Maiden's 'Number of the Beast.'It's a shame that much of Thor's discography is out of print. This album truly is a lost treasure of early Power Metal. Highly recommended for the Metal faithful.
Line-Up:
Thor Vocals (lead) - See also: ex-Centaur, ex-Iron Falcon, ex-Mikl Body Rock, ex-The Ticks, ex-Thor and the Imps
Keith Zazzi - Bass
Steve Price - Guitars
Mike Favata - Drums
+ Pantera - Vocals (backing)
Tracklist:
01. 2045 00:48
02. Only the Strong 03:50
03. Start Raising Hell 03:49
04. Knock 'Em Down 04:08
05. Let the Blood Run Red 04:24
06. When Gods Collide 04:32
07. Rock the City 04:05
08. Now Comes the Storm 02:52
09. Thunder on the Tundra 03:25
10. Hot Flames 03:05
11. Ride of the Chariots 03:35
12. Lady of the Night 02:46 (Bonus Track)
13. Warriors of the Universe (Live) 03:39 [recorded at the Sweden Rock Festival, 2009] (Bonus Track)
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