Elixir’s remarkable debut album is a proper NWOBHM-era classic. After searching for, and being unable to find, a record deal, the band self-released Son of Odin in a limited run no doubt helped in some way by the band’s session on the much missed Friday Rock Show on Radio 1.
After being reminded of Elixir via an interview with guitarist Phil Denton (read it here) and then getting Elixir’s excellent latest album Voyage of the Eagle (review here) I figured it was time I got my hands on the Son of Odin.
And that’s what I’ve done – with a copy of the 25th anniversary edition CD which includes that Friday Rock Show session and a couple of bonus tracks.
It’s not hard to see (or rather listen……) why the Son of Odin has appeared in lists of top albums over the years. When you think that when the album was first released in 1986 bands like Helloween had Keeper of the Seven Keys Part II out there and Son of Odin easily stands up against classics like that.
Big, brutal chords and riffs come in from all angles. The guitars trade off each other superbly with some top solos equally as good as say a Tipton and a Downing. Big bass lines and some proper tub-thumping too. Paul Taylor’s vocals both powerful and melodic.
Really top, top stuff. Why labels did not snap them up – surely one of the unsolved mysteries of the modern world. Son of Odin is up there with anything anyone else was doing at the time – Helloween, Maiden, Priest etc. Surely with a deal and spot of promotion Elixir would have been there too.
Get your ears around the opener – The Star of Beshaan – is it not heavy as ****?
Then get ready for eight more songs which hit just as hard. The band riffs as hard as anyone. A bit dark and “doomy” here and there too.
Pandora’s Box, Hold High the Flame, Children of Tomorrow and the rest all fly by as one listens without a weak moment anywhere. As the cliché goes – all killer and no filler.
The title track closes things out – and that brings a slightly gentler pace being a little slower and dark yet still crunches. Has at atmospheric feel to it. Can imagine it being a Viking style battle hymn or something like that. Epic.
Anyhoo – no doubt to this reviewer’s ears that Elixir have a bona-fide NWOBHM classic with the Son of Odin which sounds as fresh today as it did in 1986.
The 25th Anniversary CD version the suggested format. Or if you prefer this new-fangled downloading/streaming then Amazon Music may be your route of choice.
GET YOUR COPY OF ELIXIR: THE SON OF ODIN FROM AMAZON HERE
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