Elixir: Mindcreeper

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Elixir, the legendary metal act, from times when New Wave of British of Heavy Metal was young, alive and kicking, is back again! Some truly legendary names from that era are back in the saddle as well. Cloven Hoof, Diamond Head, Tygers of Pan Tang, Steel Assassin and of course Elixir. Nevertheless their debut "The Son of Odin" (1985) represents a true masterpiece and holy bible for every NWOBHM fan. The band somehow wasn't destined to break through in order to achieve massive success or at least better recognition. During the nineties they didn't show any signs of life, but with "Idol" (2002) they returned, and the new "Mindcreeper" album, released four years after "Idol", confirms that this wasn't just a one off reunion.

"Mindcreeper", only the fourth album released by Elixir so far, carefully follows the directions of the previous "Idol". What we get is straight, simple and undressed, right in your face riffing. The production is rough and alive. No double bass foot pedal at all, heavily exposed cymbals in the production fill the background by creating a firm sound layer behind powerful riffing. Riffing evokes (immediately in the opening Don't Trust the Preacher) some Dio/Martin era Black Sabbath melody similarities. Paul Taylor's voice, still possesses charm and a recognisable vocal approach. The way he tackles vocal lines in higher registers sometimes reminds of Biff Byford (Saxon). He puts obscurity, evilness, some trauma and paranoia into the atmosphere. Exactly what heavy metal a la Elixir needs. The song Mindcreeper exposes these themes even more. Funnily enough, but the next song Hot Metal basically follows the same main riffing form as the album's title song. Luckily, some nice amounts of vah-vah soloing are placed over it, so this song thankfully creates a different mood.

"Mindcreeper" proves that Elixir are a strong and content unit. The album is very catchy in parts where songs deliver changes in moods, especially in parts where songs are approaching their middle instrumental sections. The fourth song Rescue My Soul changes the dynamics of the album. It contains a very melodic yet obscure beginning in the vein of a ballad. Suddenly Taylor's scream cuts the atmosphere, riffs jump in and we are already in the middle of metal fire and hell. This approach calls to life some of Iommi's riffing figures again. The guys didn't forget about the addition of some nice twin guitar harmonies layered over riffing basics (Over And Over Again). You'll also be glad to hear some hard rockin' stuff like we get in Knocking on the Gates Of Hell, a middle tempo song with a nice balance between melody and a pure evil mood. Some hard rockin' hints are also heard in the speedier Iron Hawk. With Guiding Star the ambient changes once again by delivering a great classic metal acoustically driven ballad with Taylor's emotive vocals at the forefront. The closing song Where Angels Fear To Tread brings back some real wickedness. This is a great track with a huge ambient, nice changes of the motives and dynamics, taking great care to deliver big melodies. This song's atmosphere slowly builds up and explodes in its last part, when a big classic riff proves Elixir still has the power to convince all metalheads, even in the new millennium. Personally speaking this is the highlight on this record.

This record is just what Elixir are. What you hear is what you get. No lefts, no rights, but pure straight riffs that deliver basic and "classy" stuff, which could have been created a long time ago (25 - 30 years). An album lost in time. Worth exploring for all fans of New Wave of British Heavy Metal, classic hard rock, and bands like Dio/Martin era Black Sabbath, Saxon or Riot. It proves Elixir are back in business. Let us hope for more.

author: Aleš Podbrežnik

"Mindcreeper", skupno komaj četrti zaporedni studijski album skupine, previdno sledi usmeritvam predhodnika "Idol". Spet smo torej priča preprostim, slečenim in neposrednim riffom. Produkcija je surovo živa. Bobni se po stari maniri ogibajo uporabe dvojne bas boben stopalke, v produkciji pa intenzivno opiranje na činele tvori trdno zvočno ozadje, preko katerega rohnijo debeli kitarski riffi. Že takoj otvoritvena Don't Trust the Preacher vzbuja nekatere zvočne vzporednice z Dio/Martin era Black Sabbath. Glas Paula Taylorja, po vseh teh letih, še vedno poseduje karizmo, šarm in prepoznavnost. Način kako vodi svoje melodične linije spominja včasih na rojaka Biffa Byforda. Vokal vnaša v glasbo Elixir občutke travme, paranoje, zla in pomaga v kreaciji splošno temačnega vzdušja albuma. Naslovna pesem te občutke še bolj jasno potrdi. Zanimivo je, da se skladba Hot Metal, ki ji sledi, drži skoraj identične osnovne riffovske šablone, ki pa jo okrasek vah-vah soliranja položen preko močno zabriše (uspešno prevara poslušalca) in tako vnese  na album drugo razpoloženje. Zvito!

"Mindcreeper" dokazuje, da so Elixir čvrsta in zanesljiva enota. Predvsem je sladko poslušanje trenutkov albuma v delih, ko skupina spreminja razpoloženja in dinamiko albuma, še posebej v srednjih instrumentalnih delih, ki so tekoče vpeti v osnovno riff forme. Četrta skladba prelije dinamiko albuma na nov nivo. To je Rescue My Soul, ki vsebuje izrazno melodičnost, a hkrati obskuren občutek in je v uvodnem delu povsem baladno zasnovana. Taylorjev krik nenadno obrne vzdušje, vskoči čvrsti riff in že smo sredi novega metal ognja in pekla. Skladba oživlja standardne pristope riff guruja Iommija. Fantje niso pozabili na dodatek nekaterih lepih dvojnih kitarskih harmonij (Over And Over Again), prav tako pa se soočamo z močnimi primesmi klasičnega hard rocka, ki so ujete v skladbi Knocking on the Gates Of Hell, kot tudi v pospešeni Iron Hawk, ki vleče v melodičnih linijah celo na Američane Riot. Guiding Star je edina balada albuma. Skladba prinaša izredno ambientalno akustično vodeno avanturo, s Taylorjevim sredinsko umeščenim vokalom, ki čutno zažiga. Je temna balada z velikim vzdušjem in povsem klasičnim zvenom, kot bi bila napisana na prelomu sedemdesetih v osemdeseta. Da lahko Elixir tudi danes postrežejo mladi generaciji ljubiteljev metal glasbe skladbo z veliko zalogo strupa in zlobe, pa dokazuje zaključna Where Angels Fear To Tread. Skladba je izmed vseh na albumu daleč najlepše skonfigurirana v smislu raznovrstnega nizanja motivov, ki se skladno in dinamično prelivajo drug v drugega. Gre za najmočnejši trenutek albuma, ravno ob njegovem zaključku.

Ta album je natanko to kar Elixir so. Kar slišiš, to dobiš. Ni levih, ne desnih prdcev, pač pa samo tisti ustreljeni povsem naravnost, s katerimi skupina prinaša album neposrednih, golih, klasično oblikovanih riffov, ki so bili modni izpred 25 do 30 let, ko je bil Heavy Metal še mlad. Nedvomno album izgubljen v času. Zelo lep rustikalni album, ki bo privlačen za raziskovanje ljubiteljev New Wave of British Heavy Metal-a, klasičnega hard rock in skupin, kot so Dio/Martin era Black Sabbath, Saxon ali Riot. "Mindcreeper" dokazuje, da so Elixir znova čvrsto osedlani v metal poslu. Nadejajmo se še več takšnih albumov skupine v prihodnje, ne nazadnje ostajajo Elixir v tem veliki dolžniki.

avtor: Aleš Podbrežnik