I'm pretty sure a Metal fan introduced to our beloved not more than e.g. a decade ago shall smile wide while laughing at this live album. Indeed, so many things have changed in what we refer to as Heavy Metal music the last 15+ years that there's certainly less than little in common between an 80s Metal band like THOR and what is nowadays presented as Metal through major labels/media. Thankfully, it's (also) re-releases than this one setting things kinda straight again; Live In Detroit originally came out in 1985 and if you'd like a taste of American (continent) Heavy Metal sweat onstage, that's the stuff.
Historic hints: Jon Mikl Thor was a professional body builder (of worldwide fame) when he decided to form THOR in Vancouver, Canada. From 1977 till today he has not stopped releasing albums/collections of hardrockin' Metal music while remaining (the last years) totally in the underground. Check his official site to witness the full THOR discography, and bear in mind the band's Only The Strong album (1985) is considered to be a milestone in the Canadian Metal scene. So far, so good...
...so great! Live In Detroit (the original vinyl issue was pressed in two different cover artworks) is a result of THOR touring in support of the Only The Strong album and - expect from some rather dull guitar solo somewhere in the middle - surely captures the dynamics of the band at the time plus the factual energy of a Heavy Metal gig in the 80s. The crowd goes crazy, the band-fans interaction is vivid, the performance is truly demonic and the Ted Nugent-meets-THE SWEET and SAXON-meets-MOTORHEAD and non-epic MANOWAR style of Jon Mikl Thor and his comrades (a killer femme included doing backing vocals, called Pantera!) is beyond any expectation for the old-school Metal fan.
Most of the tracklist refers to the aforementioned Only... LP, while Ektro Records has made this reissue even more appealing by adding a set of three obscure live recordings of that era; one of them - We Keep Rockin On - reveals a song never released in a studio album by the band in prior. The CD's booklet adds more charm with a great string of photos of that era, while a small complaint would sum it up to the lack of some liner notes/bio so as...
...younger Metal fans would spent beneficial time reading for one of the prides of the Canadian Heavy Metal scene the last thirty years. Apart from the live album's own blasting value, it's great to see it's now released on compact disc form, eventually.
P.S.: Swedish Black/Thrash warriors BEWITCHED recorded a cover version of Let The Blood Run Red in their At The Gates OF Hell (1999) album; guest vocals were provided by Jon Mikl Thor himself.