All Hail the God of Thunder!

Jon Mikl Thor did something few performers are able to do at a recent show in Toronto: he got the normally conservative Toronto audience to get off their asses and make some noise.

The crowd of about 40 metalheads chanted Thor’s name as they flashed devil horn signs and pounded their fists in the air. And the God of Thunder did not disappoint.

During glam metal’s heyday in the 70s and 80s, the former championship bodybuilder from Canada’s west coast was known for his live spectacles, which fused heavy metal with feats of strength and a slew of costumes and props. Then grunge came along with its so-ironic-it-hurts mentality and it suddenly wasn’t cool to put on a show anymore. But trends come and go and now Thor is well on his way to a comeback.

“The generation now really wants to see a show, and we’re giving that to them,” Thor told S&H.ca before his show at Toronto’s 360. “If you’re going to put your dollar down, you want to be excited. You want to have an incredible time and be taken somewhere beyond all points of imagination.”

Thor decided to reinvent himself after officially deciding to launch his comeback in 2001. The long, flowing blond locks of yore have been replaced by the new “Cyber Thor” look: a short, spiky haircut and goatee with sunglasses and black leather. He also credits the recent success of bands like Britain’s The Darkness for inspiring him to return to the scene.

Thor's still a giant of a man and his voice rumbles enthusiastically as he discusses his lastest project: a collaboration with American artist Mike "Mick" Hoffman titled Beastwomen from the Center of the Earth. It's a concept album with the music tracks split evenly between Hoffman and Thor, accompanied by a comic book drawn by Hoffman. A movie and videogame are in the works too.

“We were both always fascinated with B-movies like Invaders from Mars and Attack of the 50 Foot Woman,” Thor explained when asked how the collaboration with Hoffman came about. “We’re doing things that are unbelievable in a way. The normal kid might not be able to do that kind of stuff but they want to see it. It’s like when you go to see Lord of the Rings, you can’t actually fly or battle a dragon but you want to see that."

It’s impossible not to get caught up in Thor’s almost boyish enthusiasm and his refreshingly honest desire to simply put on a good show for his audience. “I like excitement,” he said. “We’ve had people dressed in metal helmets and chainmail jumping up onto the stage, and we’ve had people jump up nude on the stage. I want excitement, I want flashes going off, I want mayhem. That’s what rock is!"

And the crowd received a fine spectacle indeed. Between the frequent costume and mask changes and wearing massive skull shoulder pads, five-inch leather platform boots and a spectacular studded metal codpiece, Thor belted out his repertoire of hits including ‘Anger,’ ‘Keep the Dogs Away,’ and ‘Fubar Is a Super Rocker,’ the latter of which is featured on the Fubar soundtrack.

Guitarist Frank Soda’s exploding helmet detonated in the middle of one song, giving everyone in the club a good jolt. Thor’s between song antics were truly a sight to behold. He paused just long enough to have two concrete blocks broken across his chest and bent a steel bar between his teeth.

As the band vamped in the background, Thor encouraged the audience to make some noise and literally worked himself into a frenzy as the steel bar gave way. He apparently chipped a tooth in the process (Although one has to wonder, since this seems to happen every single time and the man only has so many teeth). Thor shrugged it off, saying "You won’t see Justin Timberlake doing this!"

This was just one example of how Thor and his audience drew energy from one another. He would frequently reach into the crowd to give them high-fives and offer the microphone so that people could sing along. It was an incredibly open and generous exchange between performer and spectator

Next up was Thor’s epic battle with the Cave Beast. During the struggle, a microphone stand managed to get bent almost in half. Thor needed it for the next song so he nonchalantly bent it back into position with his giant hands.

At the end of the set, the energized crowd began chanting for an encore, and Thor obliged with ‘When Gods Collide’.

Thor described what he does as positive thinking: “Where the Cave Beast tries to defeat me, I have to come back. Where the steel bar is unbendable, I still have to try to do it.

“We’re putting on the most unique show in rock right now,” he declared. “No one is doing what we’re doing. We’ve really broken the mould with this show.”

It’s hard to argue with him.

Photography by Erin Bell