Thor's Hammer

Thor's Hammer stood out as the leading Icelandic rock act of the 1960s and the sole one to attract serious collector interest on any scale. Their edge stemmed from sessions cut in London for Parlophone and the issue of a lone 45 in the United States during 1967. They also remain the only Icelandic group represented on Nuggets II, the multi-disc anthology devoted to non-American garage and psychedelic recordings from the decade. Between the middle and end of the 1960s the band laid down numerous tracks, the strongest of which delivered raw mod energy in a British Invasion mold that echoed the early Who and similar outfits such as the Eyes. Twenty of those performances appear on the 2001 Big Beat anthology From Keflavik, With Love.

Originally formed in Keflavik, Iceland, in 1963 under the name Hlijomar—the English equivalent being the Sounds or the Chords—the group emerged in a small, isolated nation that still lacked television. Any rock band counted as a rarity, yet they quickly achieved wide domestic popularity. Starting in 1965 they began cutting sides for the local market and backed touring British artists during their visits to Iceland. The Thor's Hammer moniker was adopted specifically for English-language material recorded in London and issued on Parlophone. While aggressive mod numbers such as "My Life" and "I Don't Care"—driven by gritty vocals, drumming in the Keith Moon vein, and biting fuzz guitar—formed one part of their output, the catalog also encompassed the sturdy Merseybeat of "If You Knew," heartfelt ballads tinted with European folk elements, and brighter pop-rock arrangements featuring brass. Only guitarist Gunnar Thordarson participated in the 1967 U.S. Columbia single "Show Me You Like Me"/"Stay," whose backing was tracked in New York by session players under producer John Simon.

The band continued until 1969, at which point English vocalist Patricia Gail Owens, also known as Shady, joined the lineup. They subsequently evolved into the more progressive Trubrot, which completed two albums prior to its dissolution.