By: Jesse Striewski

I can’t say I had “Listening to the new Thor album” on my agenda for 2025, but a recent revisit of the 1986 Police Academy-inspired Recruits, which features frontman Jon Mikl Thor himself in one of his first acting roles, caused me to revisit some of the band’s earlier material, as well as research what they’ve been up to these days.

The results of course are now known to be a covers album by the name of Rock the Universe, a somewhat uneven, albeit like-able enough affair.

The Sweet track “Action” kicks off the proceedings with some mild urgency, while covers of “Love Me Two Times” by The Doors and “Back in the USSR” by The Beatles are the strongest outputs that stand out here.

More obscure choices like “Mama Let Him Play” by late Canadian musician Jerry Doucette and “Sky Pilot” by The Animals might not hold much interest for the casual listener, but I’m sure there’s likely good reason behind each selection here. Definitely not for everyone, but a decent effort nonetheless.

Rating: 2.5/5 Stars