As reigning masters of the space rock universe, Hawkwind have always displayed their best sound in live performance. All Hawkwind is intense and compelling, delivered in songs steeped in sci-fi lore or the lure of space. But the best Hawkwind is a live Hawkwind -- when unleased on the stage, their passion translates into impressive epic riffs and mounting rhythms.

It's no surprise that many of the band's albums are live recordings to begin with, premiering new material with blazing live energy.

The surprise comes with the recent flood of older live concert releases that are popping up like a volcanic string of newborn islands in an already molten sea.

Strap in and activate your oxygen mask, we're heading into the cosmic void.

This double CD is 86 minutes suspected to be from one of Hawkwind's two nights at London's Hammersmith Odeon as part of the 1982 "Choose Your Masques" tour. The band this time is Dave Brock, Hugh Lloyd-Langton, Harvey Bainbridge, and Martin Griffin on drums.

During the '80s, Hawkwind injected a heavy metal edge to their signature sound, accelerating the power chords and diverting the topics of their songs from the mysteries of space to dealing with futuristic conflicts.

Replacing the old Hawkwind choppy rhythm guitar style with biting ax virtuosity, the music takes on a grungier edge, made more lethal by the vehement vocals and the screaming tidal wave of synth. The drums are upfront and insistent. Strong performances blaze with epic fury and cosmic dedication.

Peppered in with the "Choose Your Masques" material are some fond favorites: "Psychedelic Warrior", "Master of the Universe", "Ejection" and "Brainstorm".

This live release possesses extremely clear sound quality, capturing each sonic lick and snarl with commanding effect. There's also a surprise appearance by Nik Turner on sax.

This 58-minute CD features 34 minutes live in Sheffield, November 1984 (with line-up Brock, Alan Davey, Nik Turner, Lloyd-Langton, Bainbridge and Danny Thompson), and 24 minutes live in 1989 and classified as "undisclosed" (although the line-up here is Brock, Davey, Bainbridge, Lloyd-Langton and Richard Chadwick).

The first set of material is mostly classic tunes ("Orgone Accumulator", "Sonic Attack" and Turner's "Watching the Grass Grow"), but in the hand of the harsher early-'80s Hawkwind, these tunes blaze with a different flare. Much of this energy stems from Nik Turner's presence during one of his numerous returns to the band. His passionate vocals and fervent sax inject a raw tempering to the band's savage drive. There's also a very tasty version of the hypnotic "Ghost Dance" that erupts with synthetic sounds and tribal vocal rhythms.

The 1989 material is more current to the period ("Motorway City", "Heads" and "Angels of Death"), although there's a forceful rendition of "Ejection". This concert belongs to the period during which the band were fully immersed in a heavy metal version of their space rock sound, resulting in a strong wall of mighty sound that retains a cosmic shimmer. Growling guitars, sweeping keyboards, thumping basslines, steadfast drumming and demanding vocals.

The sound quality on both sets is quite superb.

In 1990, the band line-up on this 53-minute CD is Brock, Bainbridge (now on keyboards), Davey on bass, Chadwick on drums and Bridget Wishart on vocals.

Besides the introduction of female vocals, Hawkwind's thematic focus shifted during this period to American Indian mythology (circa their "Space Bandits" album). However, "Live at Glastonbury 1990" does not draw upon this material. The songs here are generally old classics: "Golden Void", "Ejection", "The Assassins of Allah", "Shouldn't Do That" and the obligatory and always stunning "Brainstorm".

Generally, Wishart's vocals are drowned out by the masculine accompaniment, while everything else gets washed out by the over-prominent guitar. Even the powerhouse drums are a background element. In fact, much of this recording has deplorable sound quality -- it's an audience tape, complete with annoying audience members who won't shut up and even a dog barking every once in a while.

All of this is such a pity, because the performance is dynamic and tight, attributing new riffs and interpretations to the music.

Still going strong, Hawkwind's most recent release delivers 52 minutes of savage space rock, and 25 of those minutes are live (presumably from 1997, since the line-up is: Brock, Chadwick, Jerry Richards, and Ron Tree; possibly live in Belgium...the liner notes are very vague).

These live tracks represent a more fun-time Hawkwind, with a definite celebratory edge to the "Brainstorm", "Love in Space" and "Aerospace-Age Inferno".

A strong reggae influence creeps into the title track, fusing the band's gritty cosmic sound with this very earthy tempo. The other studio tracks display a more fluid quality, with a profusion of shrill electronics adding to the power chord guitar and dynamic drumming. Numerous trancey passages (some instrumental, some constructed of vocal snippets) bridge the harsher songs. Astral riffs to lull you before the sonic explosions fill your ears.

Outburst electronics, punishing percussion and fierce guitars crash with mesmerizing melodic effect. The lyrics chant and whisper warnings of technological sirens. Although there's a plethora of weirdness going on, this tuneage is hard rock with an obsession with space, the future and the "Reptoids" that walk among us.

This one is a real oddity. It's actually pre-Hawkwind material, from Dave Brock's days with the Darhma Blues Band, the Buskers, and Famous Cure in the late '60s. Brock himself narrates this collection of ancient rarities.

Expect a mixture of tavern blues for the first five tracks, dominated by ragtime piano and lamenting vocals. Brock's presence consists of some banjo strumming and joyful harmonica. Very crude. Very un-Hawkwind.

Then Brock moved on to busking (playing on the street for handouts) psychedelic folk music, scoring himself an appearance on the John Peel Show. Five short tracks display this sparse and acoustic music, culminating with an electrification of the blues for the fifth track with the Famous Cure.

Two tracks exhibit immediately pre-Hawkwind daze -- a psychedelic country rendition of "Hurry on Sundown" and a folksy version of Pink Floyd's "Cymballine".

Then Brock formed Hawkwind, spotlighted in the final track: a 7-minute primitive take of "Master of the Universe" with Nik Turner on vocals and sax.

This 43-minute CD comes in an oversize booklet which features photos and photocopied documents from this distant and formative period.