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ELIXIR
Voyage Of The Eagle

Dissonance Productions (2020)
Rating: 9/10

A long, long time ago in the year 1986, a band called Elixir released its debut opus The Son Of Odin. This London act became somewhat of a cult gem – also known for briefly featuring former Iron Maiden drummer Clive Burr – but four years later their album Lethal Potion looked like it had signalled the end of this New Wave Of British Heavy Metal band.

I somewhat lost track of the guys, in spite of them returning in 2001. They went on to release four more albums before once again splitting up in 2010, with Paul Taylor (vocals) and Phil Denton (guitar) going on to form Midnight Messiah.

But now we’ve come full circle and Elixir are back with four of the veteran members – Taylor, Denton, Norman Gordon (guitar) and Nigel Dobbs (drums) – being joined by Luke Fabian (bass), who replaces Kevin Dobbs.

Now, I’m all for reunions, especially when so many original members are present, but after a batch of rather unremarkable albums I must admit to not expecting much from this record. But boy, have I been proven wrong, with Voyage Of The Eagle being one of the best albums of 2020 by a country mile.

This is a classic, authentic slab of NWOBHM flecked with doomy, gloomy trappings – just check out the immense crawl of ‘The Siren’s Song’ featuring killer guest vocal sighs from Katie Alys Barton. From beginning to end, the riffs on this are a juggernaut; infectious traipsing pounds dragging us back in time but remaining as competent today.

There’s no gimmicks here as every trudge and effortless grind of steel comes from the heart of a combo that has metal engraved in its veins. This is immediately apparent with the opening melodies of ‘Drink To The Devil’; one of the album’s feistier moments that delivers one of the year’s greatest riffs. Taylor’s vocals remain gutsy croons above that sea of toiling drums, bass and heraldic guitar tones. Throw this back into the mire with Angel Witch, Witchfynde, etc. and you’ve got a classic. I just hope the youth of today appreciates such a molten barrage of steel and dirt.

‘Press Ganged’ is even more lethal, where the riff buzzes with devilish, almost thrashing charm. Give this kind of fluffy lick to a modern day occult rock rip-off and you’ll have crowds of deluded kids salivating, but tell them it’s from one of the original purveyors of metal doom and you will be met with vacant stares. But who cares? ‘Press Ganged’ is a driving, filth-licked satanic melody.

Voyage Of The Eagle beams with soul and fire, from the aching melodies of ‘Sail On’ which creaks with beauty, to the short yet brisk gallop of ‘On Through The Storm’. All the while there’s that ever present lacing of darkness as the band provide incredible atmosphere both lyrically and musically.

Deft melodies emanate from the epic, stirring ‘Almost There’ which hints at a Thin Lizzy-styled melody and buoyancy, while ‘Whisper On The Breeze’ is a gorgeous, swaying semi-ballad that builds on magical axe work and soaring melodious strains.

Vocally, Paul Taylor displays power and subtlety, leading us into further traditional gallops displayed on ‘Evermore’ with its Iron Maiden-esque drive. In fact, the whole album is one classy voyage of emotion, passion and fire, happy to settle on rough seas and combat any coming frothing waves. But the real magic lies in the chemistry between those veterans, alongside Luke Fabian’s bass.

In a world of great pretenders, we need battle-worn gods such as Elixir to remain; to stare stony-eyed across the waters and keep guard upon the formula they helped craft so long ago.

Voyage Of The Eagle is a dense, layered, musically magical piece of work brimming with effortless charm, but always paved with an underlying current of British greyness; proof that while our waters may look inviting, they can also exude cold airs of hostility as they seethe with folkloric power.

Elixir have carved out a modern classic… so dive in and drown in its metal depths of grey glory.

Neil Arnold

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