Ah, the mighty Canadian man of steel returns, with a new band and some tawdry new tales to tell. Stylistically, “Devastation” harkens back to the craggy power metal of  2002’s “Triumphant” album, leaving the pop-metal and 70’s glam of last year’s “Thor Against the World” behind. Well, mostly. Thor can never leave a good, cheesy pop hook unsung, so he concocts a bizarre Viking beerhall singalong power ballad here (“Cold White Ghost”), complete with a melodic guitar solo straight out of the Night Ranger catalog, as well as the strangely melancholy 80’s rock of “Abandon”, which may or may not have used John Waite’s “Missing You” as inspiration. Otherwise, Thor gives you what you came for, ever-so-slightly tongue in cheek sword hoisters with flash metal riffs and table pounding choruses bellowed out in Thor’s trademark rock warrior growl. The highlight has gotta be the epic closer “Tales of the Wolf/ Warriors of the Universe”, if only because it goes even more over the top than the rest of the tunes. Thor claims this is a concept album about going to extremes, and true to form, he walks it like he talks it. “Devastation of Musculation” sounds exactly like what you’d expect from a man who bends steel in his teeth, and for that, Thor deserves a round of applause. And a gold record. And perhaps a good dentist.  __________________________________________________

- Sleazegrinder