THE XENON CODEX

Hawkwind

Psychedelic/Space Rock

3.25 | 114 ratings

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Modrigue
Prog Reviewer

One of HAWKWIND's best studio albums from the 80s' with "Levitation"

Not often cited by the fans, this underrated record is pretty energic and futuristic. "The Xenon Codex" shows a genuine revival of the english space rockers since "Chronicles of the Black Sword".

The album opens with the powerful "The War I Survived". This track is a very good overture to the album, its pounding rythm and guitars make it rock. "Wastelands" is a more electronic and ambient oriented moment, with its vocals seeming to die far away in space. Back to life with the heavy riffs of "Neon Skyline" and the melancholy of "Lost Chronicles". The first half of the disc is really inspired and truely proves that the band is still alive. This side finishes with "Tides", a short but pleasant ambient tune.

Mystery and science fiction introduces the second side with the spacey "Heads". The next track, "Mutation Zone", is maybe the oddest of the record with his strange vocals and bizarre sounds. Following this idea, reminiscence of good old days from HAWKWIND's 70s' improvised pieces can be perceived on the freaked-out "E.M.C". The magic heavy space song "Sword of the East" and the unequal "Good Evening" concludes well the disc.

Despite a very dated production and loud flat drumming typical of the recording period, "The Xenon Codex" is rather a good surprise from HAWKWIND in the late 80s'. From progressive seventies bands, there we not many good releases at the time. Dynamic and trippy, this album should please all space metal fans!

NOTE: "Xenon 2 Megablast" is a cult retro shoot'em up released by the famous Bitmap Brothers one year later. The artwork and sci-fi theme of this video game are quite similar to HAWKWIND's album artwork. A coincidence?

Modrigue | 4/5 | 2007-4-8

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