Description

Double album on blue vinyls with gatefold cover and 10 bonus tracks. Limited 1000 copies

By the time of Sonic Attack, Hawkwind, after losing virtually all of its original members save singer-guitarist Dave Brock, had made a complete transition from a psychedelic proto-punk outfit to a sleek, polished heavy metal band. Sonic Attack sounds like it could have been recorded by early-’80s contemporaries like Iron Maiden and Judas Priest. True, neither of those bands would have written a song like “Psychosonia,” in which the lyrics “They are trying to rob us of our right to communicate” are turned into a cheerleading spell-a-thon. Nonetheless, that (and the title track, which originally appeared on 1973’s Space Ritual) are the only concessions to the original, quirky Hawkwind style. Most of the lyrics are typical sci-fi and Dungeons & Dragons-style tales, which are not all that dissimilar from lyrics of other bands of the era, but not particularly notable either. The musicianship is clean, probably even more so than on Hawkwind’s earlier, more classic albums. What results, however, is intricate hard rock that is only intermittently riveting. Sonic Attack has some impressive moments, but never really gels as a whole.

Track list:
1. Sonic Attack
2. Rocky Paths
3. Psychosonia
4. Virgin Of The World
5. Angels Of Death
6. Living On A Knife Edge
7. Coded Languages
8. Disintegration
9. Streets Of Fear
10. Lost Chances
11. Angels Of Death
12. Transdimensional Man
13. Sonic Attack-first version
14. Out Of The Void
15. Lost Chances-extended version
16. Streets Of Fear-alternative version
17. Devilish Dirge
18. The End Of Earth City-demo
19. The Speed Of Light
20. Living On A Knife Edge