THE MACHINE STOPS

Continues the approach of Blood of the Earth and Onward, with a concept based on the EM Forster short story of the same name and perhaps a bit wider variation in the textures and approaches taken. Tim Blake departed again prior to this one, so there's overall less keyboardists competing for attention; this results in a mild but noticeable sonic shift which helps stop it feeling redundant. At the same time, it feels over-long; a bit more editing and this could be a fantastic 40 minute album rather than a good 60 minute one. Call it three and a half stars, rounded up for space rock fans and Hawkwind heads.