Elixir (metal band)
Encyclopedia
Elixir is a British
heavy metal
band, formed by Steve Bentley, Kevin Dobbs, Nigel Dobbs and Phil Denton in November 1983. They are notable for being associated with the New Wave of British Heavy Metal
movement.
In 1985, Elixir released their debut single "Treachery (Ride like the Wind)" / "Winds of Time". This single was reviewed by Ronnie James Dio
in Kerrang!
(No 99), and was given the thumbs up.
In 1986, the band recorded their first album The Son of Odin. In issue 137 (November 2005) of Terrorizer magazine, the album was included in the top 20 power metal
albums of all time, alongside Judas Priest
's Painkiller, Helloween
's Keeper of the Seven Keys Part II and Cirith Ungol
's King of the Dead
.
Elixir recorded their second album, initially called Sovereign Remedy in 1988 with Mark White on the bass and former Iron Maiden
drummer Clive Burr
. Stevie Hughes replaced Burr for the band's live commitments through 1989. At the end of the year, Phil Denton quit the band and was replaced by Leon Lawson for several live shows before the band came off the road. Their second album was released by the Sonic label as Lethal Potion in 1990. In 2004, the album was re-released as Sovereign Remedy on the TPL label, as it was originally intended, with all the tracks, the original mix and new artwork.
, Germany
and the USA.
Elixir recorded their fourth album Mindcreeper in 2006, which was released by Majestic Rock.
Elixir released their latest album All Hallows Eve on 31 October 2010 on their own CTR label.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
heavy metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
band, formed by Steve Bentley, Kevin Dobbs, Nigel Dobbs and Phil Denton in November 1983. They are notable for being associated with the New Wave of British Heavy Metal
New Wave of British Heavy Metal
The New Wave of British Heavy Metal was a heavy metal movement that started in the late 1970s, in Britain, and achieved international attention by the early 1980s. The movement developed as a reaction in part to the decline of early heavy metal bands such as Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin and Black...
movement.
1983-1990
The band spent the first time after having formed writing material and rehearsing. After brief stints as "Purgatory" and "Hellfire" the members finally decided on naming the band "Elixir". According to the biography on the band's website the name was chosen through Steve Bentley closing his eyes and putting his finger on a word in a dictionary at random. In need of a vocalist Elixir recruited singer Sally Pike, but after recording a four song demo tape and playing two gigs together, she left the band by the end of the year. In 1984 Pike was replaced by Paul Taylor, and later the same year guitarist Norman Gordon joined the band to fill the vacant spot left by Steve Bentley, who departured after Elixir had completed their second demo tape.In 1985, Elixir released their debut single "Treachery (Ride like the Wind)" / "Winds of Time". This single was reviewed by Ronnie James Dio
Ronnie James Dio
Ronald James Padavona , better known as Ronnie James Dio, was an American heavy metal vocalist and songwriter. He performed with, amongst others, Elf, Rainbow, Black Sabbath, Heaven & Hell, and his own band Dio, which means God in Italian. Other musical projects include the collective fundraiser...
in Kerrang!
Kerrang!
Kerrang! is a UK-based magazine devoted to rock music published by Bauer Media Group. It was first published on June 6, 1981 as a one-off supplement in the Sounds newspaper...
(No 99), and was given the thumbs up.
In 1986, the band recorded their first album The Son of Odin. In issue 137 (November 2005) of Terrorizer magazine, the album was included in the top 20 power metal
Power metal
Power metal is a style of heavy metal combining characteristics of traditional metal with speed metal, often within symphonic context. The term refers to two different but related styles: the first pioneered and largely practiced in North America with a harder sound similar to speed metal, and a...
albums of all time, alongside Judas Priest
Judas Priest
Judas Priest are an English heavy metal band from Birmingham, England, formed in 1969. The current line-up consists of lead vocalist Rob Halford, guitarists Glenn Tipton and Richie Faulkner, bassist Ian Hill, and drummer Scott Travis. The band has gone through several drummers over the years,...
's Painkiller, Helloween
Helloween
Helloween is a German power metal band founded in the mid 1980s by members of Iron Fist and Powerfool. The band was a pioneering force in the European Power Metal movement and their second and third studio albums, Keeper of the Seven Keys, Pt...
's Keeper of the Seven Keys Part II and Cirith Ungol
Cirith Ungol (band)
Cirith Ungol was a Californian heavy metal band who formed in 1972 and split up in May 1992. They drew influences from other metal groups such as Black Sabbath and Thin Lizzy, as well as Iggy and the Stooges...
's King of the Dead
King of the Dead (album)
King of the Dead is the second album by Cirith Ungol. It was produced by Cirith Ungol and released July 1984 on Enigma Records. It was re-released September 1999 on Metal Blade Records.Robert Garven in an interview:...
.
Elixir recorded their second album, initially called Sovereign Remedy in 1988 with Mark White on the bass and former Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden are an English heavy metal band from Leyton in east London, formed in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris. Since their inception, the band's discography has grown to include a total of thirty-six albums: fifteen studio albums; eleven live albums; four EPs; and six...
drummer Clive Burr
Clive Burr
Clive Burr is a British drummer, best known as a member of Iron Maiden from 1979 to 1982.-Career:Previously a member of Samson, Burr joined Iron Maiden in 1979...
. Stevie Hughes replaced Burr for the band's live commitments through 1989. At the end of the year, Phil Denton quit the band and was replaced by Leon Lawson for several live shows before the band came off the road. Their second album was released by the Sonic label as Lethal Potion in 1990. In 2004, the album was re-released as Sovereign Remedy on the TPL label, as it was originally intended, with all the tracks, the original mix and new artwork.
2001-present
In 2001 the band reverted back to the Paul Taylor, Phil Denton, Norman Gordon, Kevin Dobbs and Nigel Dobbs line up and in 2003 recorded their third album The Idol, which was made up of material the band had written in the 1980s. With rising popularity, the band toured around various countries such as GreeceGreece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and the USA.
Elixir recorded their fourth album Mindcreeper in 2006, which was released by Majestic Rock.
Elixir released their latest album All Hallows Eve on 31 October 2010 on their own CTR label.
Studio albums
- The Son of OdinThe Son of OdinThe Son of Odin is the debut album of British heavy metal band Elixir, released in 1986 on 12" vinyl. Cult Metal Classics re-released the album on CD in 2001 and included 3 bonus tracks. The album was also released on CD by TPL records in 2004, Majestic Rock in 2006 and CTR in 2011 as a 25th...
(1986) - Lethal Potion (1990)
- The Idol (2003)
- Mindcreeper (2006)
- All Hallows Eve (2010)
External links
- Official Web Elixir Page
- Elixir at MySpaceMySpaceMyspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
- Elixir on Facebook