Recording information: Earth Studios.
Photographers: Melvyn Vincent; Martin McGuinness.
Onward, the 26th studio album from legendary space rockers Hawkwind, coincides with Dave Brock's 70th birthday, and while it may not be the bolt from the blue that longtime fans had hoped for (painting by numbers on a canvas this big is hardly a deal breaker), it's as expansive, trippy, and overflowing with Hawkwind staples as anything the group has put out in its later years. Featuring the small army of Brock, Richard Chadwick, Tim Blake, Mr. Dibs, and Niall Hone, the two-disc Onward feels both familiar and ephemeral, from the retro acoustic vibe of "Mind Cut" to the straight-up epic prog rock of "Seasons." ~ James Christopher Monger