DEVASTATION OF MUSCULATION - Thor (Smog Veil)
Last time around our hero was the protagonist in several songs, ranting and raving through an album’s worth of ’70s-styled Alice Cooperisms cloaked in comic book imagery and aided and abetted by a host of guests.
The guests are now gone, leaving Thor to feast on his own on the follow-up just one year later, as "Devastation of Musculation" takes a more ’80s-styled approach to the songwriting and subject matters -- which strike all kinds of macho poses (surprisingly for Thor, I know) about, basically, nothing. This is not as immediate as Thor Against the World as a result, but just as satisfying once you’ve given it time to digest.
Thor assumes much of the songwriting duties, devoting a paean to a doomed steroid monster on the title track, praising a Norse God other than himself on “The Return of Odin’s Son” (one of two cuts featuring female vocal backing), and flexing the ol’ pecs on “Lords of Steel,” “Union of Power,” “Release the Beast,” and “Queen of the Damned.” Notwithstanding some different trees, this is still the same old Thor in the same old forest.
But he still does what he does well.- Doug Sheppard
THOR
AGAINST THE WORLD - Thor (Smog
Veil)
No one would describe sci-fi B-movies as cinematic triumphs, but from the
absurd dialog to the cheesy special effects to the monsters, aliens, or mutants
out to take over the earth and/or scare the shit out of earthlings - there’s
just something about them
that demands attention. Sure they suck on every level, but they’re entertaining.
Thor, the bodybuilding Canadian metalhead known mostly for his physique, has
produced the musical equivalent with Thor Against the World.
Originality is nonexistent on this album. From the Alice Cooper-like vocals
to mostly banal song titles to the pro forma metal sound, it has all the makings
of something that even underground critics would carve up like an Easter ham.
As Thor puts himself in mock-autobiographical comic book superhero poses on
the title track (yes, that’s really a song title) and “The Coming
of Thor,” sings about his “Easy Woman” and how it’s
“Hard to Cry,” and even takes time out for a corny ballad called
“Turn to Blue,” the question keeps arising: Is this guy really
serious?
I’m inclined to say no, but sometimes I’m not sure. All joking
aside, what makes most of it work is that the songs are almost all very good,
usually built on at least one good riff. In these days of songwriting drought,
that counts for a lot, as does the conviction of the protagonist/artist, who
manages to sing these inane lyrics with the conviction of someone covering
Bob Dylan. Hey, even if the squeaking synths sound pretty ridiculous on “Megaton
Man” and “Creature Feature” sounds like a junior high ode
to monster flicks, they’re both good songs. Like the rest of the album,
I’m not sure whether I’m laughing with them or at them, but something
tells me Thor’s in on the joke. - Doug Sheppard