4.0 out of 5 stars
Cult album for manly metal warriors!, July 30, 2011
Originally released in 1985, Only the Strong was the second full-length album from Canadian muscle-man turned cult heavy metal icon Thor, who made a name for himself as much for his on-stage feats of strength (bending iron bars and such) as for the band's Manowar-style metal.
Stage antics aside, Thor did manage to serve up some pretty solid traditional heavy metal. There are no real surprises here, just fast-paced, Maiden and Priest-inspired anthems about rocking, fighting and staying strong (presumably for metal). It's nothing terribly original, but this kind of early North American heavy metal has a lot of DIY charm and NWOBHM-inspired raw energy that's hard to resist. Closest comparisons are probably bands like Gotham City and Culprit, but yeah, it's impossible not to think of Manowar when you spin this one.
Obviously an album like Only the Strong isn't going to appeal to everyone, but if you collect cult `80s heavy metal and don't mind a little manly metal cheese, you really need to have at least one Thor album in your collection.
Edition Notes: Only the Strong has seen a couple of reissues in recent years. The one I have is on a Greek label and includes a pair of live bonus tracks. It sounds like it's been remastered, at least to some extent.
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