Cleopatra’s own irrepressible God of Thunder, the mighty Thor, is laying down his hammer.
One more album, one more tour, and that, he says, is it. The cape will go into storage, the helmet will be placed on the shelf, and Mjolnir, the hammer… well, hopefully it will pass to someone else, because a world without Thor just doesn’t bear thinking about.
Before he goes, though… “The Mighty Don’t Fall,” is what he sings, and he’s right. He’s backed by a band packed with star power - Rick Wakeman on keyboards has played with everyone from Yes to David Bowie; Bob Daisley’s bass underpinned some of Rainbow’s greatest albums; Vinny Appice drummed Black Sabbath to new heights; and guitarist Marcus Nand is a new name that everyone is watching.
And Thor? The anthemic “The Mighty Don’t Fall,” he says, “is the most heartfelt and emotional song I have ever co-written and performed”. He describes it as “an elegy written to honor lost friends, legends and heroes,” but catch the video and it takes you in directions you might never have dreamed of - “A horror story told in chords and shadows”!!!!
VIDEO: https://youtu.be/1El5M6Gqc2E
Scheduled for release in 2027, Thor is adamant. “The Final Battle is the climax of a long journey…” a very long journey.
Jon Mikl Thor was just 16 when he started training for Mr. Teenage Canada and Mr Teenage America, lifting monstrous weights and building up his thighs with reps of full squats with 600 pounds. All the while listening to heavy metal on the radio. He went on to win multiple championships such Mr. Canada, Mr. USA, Mr. Universe.
In 1973, he decided to combine his super human strength with feats of power and musical mayhem. Smashing bricks on his chest with an audience member swinging a sledge hammer, while another bore down with a pneumatic drill; bending steel in his bare hands; blowing up and exploding lifetime quaranteed hot water bottles; lifting up the heaviest person in the audience with his neck.
He was the Evil Knieval of metal.
It wasn’t easy. The broken bricks would constantly batter his knees. Sledgehammers would break his ribs. For years, Thor endured this pain for the fans - they were everything to him and he knew, they must be entertained. It must be real.
52 years later, all the risks, strength feats and stunts have taken their toll. During Thor's 2024 North American tour, he had to be helped off the stage after the performance as his knees swole up like a football.
The Metal Avenger has had numerous surgeries to repair the damage, most recently full replacement knee surgery, a major undertaking that replaced damaged cartilage and bone with prosthetic titanium implants. It will take up to a year for Thor to fully recover.
But The Final Battle doesn’t even wince! Thor describes the album as “my magnum opus, and this single sets the stage for what is to come.
"I poured my absolute soul into this project. The Final Battle is the biggest thing I've ever been involved with, and I couldn't wait any longer to give you a taste of it. The Final Battle is everything I am, everything I've learned, and everything I have left to say. This prelude single is the first step into that world."
DIGITAL: https://orcd.co/thor_themightywontfall
VINYL: https://cleorecs.com/products/thor-the-mighty-dont-fall-gold-vinyl-white-label
“The Mighty Don’t Fall” releases today on all digital platforms, while collectors are offered a limited edition gold vinyl 12-inch single, with the a-side vacked by two storming covers, Deep Purple's "Speed King," from Cleopatra's Purple Storm tribute album, and Hawkwind's "Needle Gun" - another preview of The Final Battle.
And Thor is correct. The mighty do not fall. Not even when their legs give way!
