Hawkwind

Staying together for a half-decade is a major coup for most bands today. Then you have the 40something years British space rockers Hawkwind have spent massaging riffs into elongated jams, morphing keyboard passages into things even Syd Barrett couldn't possibly conceive and making every stoner's trip ― from Halifax to Hiroshima ― one of the most celestial experiences ever. Unsurprisingly, this 25th album (we think, as we could be missing something since there are so many bootlegs, live discs and archive releases) fits perfectly into that cache of mind numbing, then blowing, synthesizers, driving rock Spiritualized never got right, weird, non-musical interludes and whatnot. Either way, new tunes such as "Wraith" and "Comfy Chair" are simply psychedelic, while "You'd Better Believe It" and "Sweet Obsession" have both seen the light of day on previous Hawkwind efforts. Still, seeing as these songs are older than, and feature far more musical depth, most modern rock stars, not to mention being unique in these renditions, it's fair that Hawkwind tread some previous territory. While it may be for a reserved and decidedly stoned few, Blood Of The Earth is one hell of a combination of creativity, technical genius and way-the-fuck-out-there exploration.