(Review from vintageprog.com)

The band’s 5th studio-release turned out to be their most ambitious album ever, and the cover that folded out into a shield was just the first clue. They hired sci-fi writer Mike Moorcock to help with some of the lyrical concept, and he also read several poems in between the tracks. Never before or after had Hawkwind (or any other band for that matter) better blended old fashioned fantasy-elements with futuristic sci-fi and space-influences. And the material, and not at least the arrangements was some of the band’s best ever. The two opening tracks “Assault and Battery” and “The Golden Void” floats into each other, and next to “D-Rider” these are Hawkwind’s most majestic and biggest sounding tracks ever. The arrangements here have to be heard to be believed. Tons of Mellotron, synths and distorted sax and flute create a very unique sound that actually sounded like no other band. The guitar is toned unusually much down here, but it would be more dominant in the sound later on the album. After a short poem we’re then taken straight away to space in the hypnotic and dreamy instrumental “Opa-Loka”. “The Demented Man” is another of those lovely acoustic Hawkwind-tunes where the band really managed to keep the obligatory space-feel. The energetic “Magnu” was the first track on the album to feature a quite heavy riff, but it was actually more dominated by Simon House’s excellent violin-playing. This could very well be his best performance on a Hawkwind-album. Then we’re getting more poems by Moorcock and another spacey, synth-drenched instrumental in “Spiral Galaxy 28948″. The album closes with “Kings of Speed” and this catchy and straight-forward hard-rocker was chosen as the single from the album. Dave Brock himself regards “Warrior on the Edge of Time” as the band’s crowning achievement, and most progressive rock fans rates it next to “Hall of the Mountain Grill” as Hawkwind’s best album.

Line-up:
- Dave Brock / guitar, synthesizer, bass (4), vocals (1, 2, 5, 6 & 11)
- Nik Turner / Tenor and Soprano saxophone, flute, vocals (7 & 10)
- Lemmy / bass guitar
- Simon King / drums & percussion
- Allan Powell / drums & percussion
- Mike Moorcock / vocal (3 & 9)

Track List:
01. Assault & Battery
02. The Golden Void
03. The wizard Blew His Horn
04. Opa-loka
05. The Demented Nan
06. Magnu
07. Standing At The Edge
08. Spiral Galaxy 28948
09. Warriors
10. Dying Seas
11. Kings of Speed
12. Motorhead (Bonus)

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