HW: Flicknife 'Chronicle of The Black Sword' review

[Amphetamine Embalmer]

Hawkwind - Chronicle of The Black Sword
Flicknife 1985, SHARP033

(The original Flicknife CD release of this album being
the first Hawkwind CD I ever bought, "Chronicle of The
Black Sword" proved it was only a matter of time
before the undisputed Kings of Spacerock and British
underground institution, the trusty crew of Star Rats
led by Baron Dave Brock himself, the mighty Hawkwind,
would release a concept album based on long time
collaborator Michael Moorcock's mythological fantasy
hero cycle, starring the apocalypse junkie warrior
Elric of Melnibone and his soul drinking black sword
Stormbringer. Having yet again teamed up with bassist
Alan Davey (Al Chemical), drummer Danny Thompson (D.T.
Turbine), guitarist Huw Lloyd Langton (Rocky Paths)
and synthmeister Harvey Bainbridge (Black Earl
Brainbox), this 80s classic lineup of Hawkwind also
went on to do several successful theatrical live
performances of the material at the Hammersmith Odeon
in 1985 and 86 which was celebrated in the form of a
video and a following double live album, "Live
Chronicles". Kicking off with "Song of The Swords", a
rocking Brock heavy metal tune with a snarling and
challenging vocal line, "Chronicle of The Black Sword"
is qute a varied effort as shown with the next track,
Bainbridge's "Shade Gate", a gently soothing and
rhythmic ambient piece of psychedelia, followed by a
characteristic Langton piece, "Sea King". Overall, the
album is a great mix of varied lyrical and musical
material, with the classic live hit "Needle Gun"
sounding something like a souped up, evil sounding ZZ
Top! "Elric" is an excellent rock number poetically
chronicling the central character, "Zarozinia" a
distant, drifting psychedelic ballad of Elric's
magickally sleeping lover-cousin, and "Arioch" is a
ripping piece of acid drenched instrumental speed
metal summoning the diety and Lord of Chaos himself.
Other tracks like "Chaos Army" and "The Demise" are
more atmospheric and theatrical pieces chronicling the
onmarching horror hordes of the forces of Chaos and
Elric's sacrifice to Arioch. "Sleep of A 1000 Tears"
is a Moorcock co-penned classic Hawkwind styled
driving psychedelic rock number. The original
Flicknife version of the CD came with an excellent
live version of the classic "Assault & Battery",
something of a biker anthem off 1975's classic
"Warrior on The Edge of Time" LP. Overall, with
"Chronicle of The Black Sword", Hawkwind had proven
that "concept" wasn't dead afterall in the UK
underground scene of the mid-80s, and that heavy metal
could survive just as well along with it.)

review (c) Christian Erik Mumford, 2001

--
everybody get hammered and drop your silly knickers
for some tasty speedfreak powered action, especially
all you beautiful young heavy metal tarts and rambling
derelict deadheads on motorcycles... go visit the
Hawkwind Electric Library at
http://bloomingdation.dreamstation.com/hawkwind.html
just for me, and your own sake too, of course, and you
won't regret sitting on your arse getting wasted all
day!



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