Unchained (EP)
Unchained is an EP by Canadian heavy metal band Thor. The album's title is taken from the Italian-French epic fantasy feature film Hercules Unchained (1959). Tracks "Rock the City" and "When Gods Collide" were later re-recorded for the album Only the Strong (1985). The EP was reissued on both CD and vinyl with bonus material in 2015. The CD comes with 12 rare bonus tracks, including the ultra-rare 1982 Unchained master recordings, and a bonus DVD containing two full hours of metal mayhem, featuring the “Anger” concept video with behind-the-scenes footage as well as vintage concert performances from 1982-85. A special limited edition vinyl release comes in either blue or orange colored vinyl, includes the 1982 masters, and also contains a 20-page comic book reproducing the original Unchained comic, plus additional unpublished art.[1]
| Unchained | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| EP by | ||||
| Released | 1983 | |||
| Genre | Heavy metal, power metal | |||
| Length | 20:53 | |||
| Label | Mongol Horde (US) Ultra! Noise (UK) Disc'AZ (France) | |||
| Producer | Jon Mikl Thor | |||
| Thor chronology | ||||
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| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| TheRockologist |   |
Critical reception
Reviews of the EP have been more positive than their debut. Off of heavy metal overload, a positive review said that "Unchained is even catchier than the debut and tracks like Anger, Lightning Strikes Again and When Gods Collide are instant favourites and mandatory listening for any true metal party!" [2] Reviewer Daniel Pavlica of TheRockologist spoke highly when reviewing the 2015 reissue, praising the bonus content. "Needless to say, the corny balls-to-the-wall approach infects this release at every level, yet spiteful riffs and inspired chord progressions raise the bar well above the tacky 80s fist-pumping metal jolly-up." They followed that up with praising such tracks as the "smashing" opener “Lightning Strikes”, the "colossal sounding" “When Gods Collide”, and “Anger”, calling the latter a "sweat-soaked dungeons and dragons anthem replete with rock hard abs."[3] A reviewer from Popshifter gave a decent review, stating that "Fans of classic metal will love Unchained and it might convert a few who aren’t. I can sum the album up easily as simply a fun listen."[4]
Track listing
All tracks are written by Jon Mikl Thor, except where noted
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Lightning Strikes Again" | 2:37 | |
| 2. | "Anger" | 3:42 | |
| 3. | "Rock the City" | 3:54 | |
| 4. | "Lazer Eyes" | 3:25 | |
| 5. | "When Gods Collide" | Thor, Keith Zazzi | 4:32 |
| 6. | "Death March" (Instrumental) | Thor, Rusty Hamilton | 2:43 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 7. | "Warhammer" | 3:05 |
| 8. | "Rebirth" | 3:33 |
| 9. | "Ride from Hell" | 3:10 |
| 10. | "Ragnarock" | 2:27 |
| 11. | "Muscle Rock (The Vulcans Arrive)" | 2:29 |
| 12. | "She's a Nightmare" | 4:28 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 13. | "Anger" | 3:35 |
| 14. | "Lightning Strikes Again" | 2:42 |
| 15. | "Lazer Eyes" | 3:11 |
| 16. | "I Am Your Sire" | 3:55 |
| 17. | "Rock the City" | 3:38 |
| 18. | "When Gods Collide" | 4:29 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Anger" (music video) | |
| 2. | "Raw BTS footage of the Anger music video" | |
| 3. | "Live in NY 1982" (Unchained release party) | |
| 4. | "Live from Queens, NY 1985" | |
| 5. | "Live at St. Alban’s Hall 1984" (with Nik Turner as Loki) | |
| 6. | "Live at the Marque 1984" |
- Tracks 7-12 omitted from 2015 vinyl release.
Personnel
Thor
- Jon Mikl Thor – lead vocals
- Karl Cochran – lead guitar
- Keith Zazzi – bass
- Mike Favata – drums
- Pantera (aka Rusty Hamilton) – backing vocals
Session members
- Jimmy Ambrose – guitar
- Jimmy Whang – guitar
- John Muller – keyboards
Miscellaneous staff
- Jon Mikl Thor – producer, arrangements
- Don Berman - engineering
- Michael Morley - engineering
- Dom Romeo - mastering
References
- "Thor – 1983 Unchained EP To Be Reissued". March 25, 2015. Retrieved September 11, 2022.
- Overload, Heavy Metal (January 8, 2019). "Thor – Unchained (Review)". HEAVY METAL OVERLOAD. Retrieved September 11, 2022.
- Pavlica, Daniel (2015). "Thor - Unchained (EP)". TheRocktologist.com. Retrieved September 13, 2022.
- Murr, Tim (April 17, 2015). "Music Review: Thor, Unchained Deluxe Reissue". popshifter.com. Retrieved September 13, 2022.