I'm sot sure whether Britain's ELIXIR ever had a 'called it quits' gap all these years (and especially in the 90s) after their birth in 1983 or not, but to see again this 'cult' UK Metal act releasing a brand new self-financed album came as more than good news. Add the fact that all members appearing on the mythical "Son Of Odin" debut LP release are again here and off we go!

NWOBHM heroes ELIXIR came too late in the British Metal market, since their 1986 debut was quite outdated too much the NWOBHM exile of the first years of the 80s. Still, here we're speaking 'bout one of the most impressive Metal releases in the UK of all time. You just need to listen to and be bewitched by the power, the epic and the rust of this album. No more is to be said here; if you do not own this gem and feel proud to be a traditional Metal devotee, do yourself a favor and buy or borrow or steal or listen to this masterpiece in any way.

Having followed ELIXIR throughout their whole discography, I did not expect nothing less than a decent release. The band is long now known for its conscious works honoring classic British Metal and there was no chance "All Hallows Eve" could escape. No, not now. So, 45 minutes of vintage Metal coming directly from the golden 80s with a 70s touch is again responsible for us raising our glasses high to the power and glory of such remarkable bands that never - unfortunately - made it big. Seeing the album as one piece gives the first general idea: melodic old-fashioned vocals with an epic touch are in the foreground, while narrative-like singing is again present to our delight. The guitars work is more than notable, with countless leads parts and duals sending shivers down your spine if you always recognized 80s British Metal as the beginning of Heavy Metal music's everlasting mastery.

I'd like the rhythm section to be a little bit more powerful, but I think this lack of volume mainly occurs due to production/mix (pointing to budget?) issues, so no harsh criticism can take place. No, not at the same time that a glorious Heavy/Hard/Power/Epic Metal orgasm of songs shall astonish you. Yes, there are still bands honoring the glorious past of our music; yes, there's still spirit in the songwriting avoiding mimetically syndromes; yes, there are still 50-year-old Rock musicians full of hunger for original music flowing from the heart. ELIXIR is - they never was - a typical NWOBHM band; they resemble more to the bands that adopted a wider British Metal sound/style in the years after the first NWOBHM shuffle. Imagine of what CLOVEN HOOF, SATANIC RITES, PERSIAN RISK or - more recently - STORMZONE (in their 2^nd album) did and...

...avoid exposing yourself to such magical music if you dare. The cover artwork, the song titles and the lyrics themes add to the album's value, no questions asked. Again, this release is for friends of traditional Metal music with a strong late 70's Hard Rock influence; all these from a band that - as said - came too late in the spotlight but still persists playing music from the heart. Feel the magic of ELIXIR, it's not too late, not even know.

PS: Can long in duration epic sagas still be written? Yes they can. And the 14-minute "Samhain" surely is fresh evidence in defense.