HAWKLORDS – Faith – review – space rock

HAWKLORDS – Faith – review
Hawklords / Shellshock

Album number 12 (?) from the band who started life as a Hawkwind offshoot but who, remarkably, have had almost as many line-up changes as the original Hawkwind. Well, that’s a lie, but it’s a fuck of a lot. My memory is frazzled these days but I think the first, proper, touring line-up was Ron Tree, Nik Turner, Jerry Richards, Adrian Shaw, Harvey Bainbridge, Steve Swindells and Meurig Griffiths.

That didn’t last long enough to get in the studio, and it was Harvey Bainbridge, Dave Pearce, Jerry Richards, Adrian Shaw and Ron Tree with Steve Swindells guesting on “We Are One”. Now, bear in mind, that was only 13 years ago. Since then, they’ve got through 78 members including, quite possibly, me. I don’t remember 2018. The most remarkable thing about this, is that the music has remained consistently consistent.

So, unlike modern day Hawkwind, they specialise in the driving motorik rhythms of years gone by. Which is the HW I first got into. So I have no complaints about the opening ‘Transmission’, which powers along in finest space rock fashion, with a delightful chugging riff. ‘Dead Zone’ is a bit more sci-fi with extra emphasis on the synths, with sort of new singer Kriss Gordelier delivering a fine vocal. I say sort of, because I vaguely recall that name from my sordid NWOBHM* youth. Surely not. * ask your Granda.

Then it’s time for the spoken world interlude. I’ll leave that up to you. Fortunately, it’s followed up by the album highlight. ‘Strange Land’. This Is What We Want. It couldn’t be more classic space rock if it had space rock tattooed on its member, and said member plunged into burning hot space rock. Oh, the synths. Oh, the swirls. Oh, the guitars. Juicy, lads. Juicy.

The inevitable mid-section is, inevitably, the mid-section. There’s usually one. Nothing to complain about, but all you’re thinking is “should I skip back to ‘Strange Land?’ Then ‘Drone’ arrives, and all is well with the world. It’s actually quite an oppressive track despite the light flute work from Bebe Aldridge. The percussion is phenomenal, as the song slowly, slowly builds up, while you wait for the sweet release. Of what, you decide. A treat.

That’s 40 minutes gone. An album, in old money. But this is CD land, so they revisit the opening track. But, wait for it lads! In techno style! That’s what you’ve been waiting for. To be fair, it’s a good song, and it’s a decent revisit. If you’re old enough to remember Swordfish doing his Astralasia thing on songs by A.N. Other band, you’ll know what you’re in for.

So, a strong album. As most of the Hawklords 2000+ stuff has been. No complaints round my way. You will be unsurprised to learn that the recording line-up of Jerry Richards (the sole survivor) , Kriss Gordelier, Paul Sampson, and Fred Reeves [AKA Dead Fred] isn’t the line-up going out on tour. [shrugs] Now, all I have to do is drag myself 7 miles up the road to see them in Edinburgh. Even though it will be dark. And cold. And I’ve probably just taken a fruit cake out the oven.

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