A sultan's ransom --- Cloven Hoof --- 1989 (FM Revolver)
One year later they released “A sultan's ransom”, with the same lineup but this time the songwriting duties were shared between Payne and Wood, the latter co-writing about half of the album with him. This time there are ten tracks --- the longest ever for a Cloven Hoof album --- and it kicks off with “Astral rider”, a good, fast rocker which again runs through some changes and more or less picks up where the previous album left off. “Forgotten heroes” keeps the quality high, Russ North again in fine form, Andy Wood clearly enjoying himself on the guitar.
Now, a year later, they seem to be establishing their own sound, with a lot less of the Iron Maiden influence in evidence. “DVR” --- which apparently stands for Death Valley Racer --- is the first song on which Andy Wood co-writes, and it's played at breakneck speed, as you might perhaps expect, North manages to reach some notes that sound like they really hurt! Truly manic guitar solo here, then “Jekyll and Hyde” is the first kind-of Maidenlike song on the album, but we'll forgive them that, as it's a real belter. Eastern melodies introduce the “Arabian Nights” themed “1001 nights”, the story of Scheherezade (don't know if I spelled that properly) who was the central figure in the story. It's another good rocker, but I think Kamelot did better with the source material. Mind you, that was ten years later!
“Silver surfer” is another fast and heavy number, based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name, and “Notre Dame” is back with the Maiden influences, treading very hard on the toes of “Hallowed be thy name”, while “Mad mad world” is a short, somewhat throwaway track. The album finishes strongly though, as both “Highlander” and the closer “Mistress of the forest” stand out, the former due to its rollicking, into-battle theme referencing the movie and later TV series of the same name, with some great busy guitar. The latter is totally unexpected, with harpsichord opening, and some lovely choral synth on a ballad, of all things. No keyboard player is credited sadly, so I can't tell you who's playing the keys, but they do a hell of a good job.
O-kay. It's not a ballad, but it certainly started out like one. It gets kicked up the arse though, and quickly becomes another rocker, though vastly different to the previous tracks. It's also the longest track on the album, at just under seven minutes. After rocking hard for about five of those, it ends with a slow, relaxed harpsichordal outro, as it begun.
The only major difference I see between this album and “Dominator” is that on this Cloven Hoof have tried hard to shake the cloying Iron Maiden cliches, and for the most part they've succeeded, creating a more individual and representative album, very much stamping their identity on “A sultan's ransom”. The closer in particular lays down the marker, where they make it clear they are not just another Maiden clone.
TRACKLISTING
1. Astral rider
2. Forgotten heroes
3. D.V.R
4. Jekyll and Hyde
5. 1001 night
6. Silver surfer
7. Notre Dame
8. Mad, mad world
9. Highlander
10. Mistress of the forest
And once again, just as they seemed to have it together, events conspired to tear the Cloven boys apart, and they went their separate ways. Despite many attempts by Lee Payne to bring them back together and reform the band (again!) it would not be until 2005 that Lee would finally give up, hire session guys and head into the studio to record what would be their last album, so far.
Eye of the sun --- Cloven Hoof --- 2006 (Escape Music)
It's another hard rockin' opening, but new vocalist (well, stand-in vocalist I guess) Matt Moreton is more harsh and gutteral than I would like, more in the mould of original singer Potter, and on “Inquisitor” he screams and growls rather than singing. After the lush voice of Russ North on the last two albums, it's a little like going back to Paul Di'anno after hearing Bruce Dickinson! Alright, enough with the barbed Iron Maiden references, I hear ya!
Session guitarist Andy Shortland appears a decent replacement, at least on this, the first track, but the whole style of the third incarnation of Cloven Hoof seems to have slipped back to that of the debut, and the music is much harder, heavier and less melodic --- not quite black metal, perhaps grey metal? The title track offers something of a return to the sort of Cloven Hoof we've been used to over the last two albums, with Moreton reining in the harsher aspects of his singing and sounding a little clearer. It's a slower track, a cruncher with some really pounding guitar and bass work, the solos kept to just the areas where they'll be the most effective.
It's not made clear, but it seems likely as he was the one who put the band (back) together that all the songs here are written by Payne, and this time out he's decided to rope in the aid of a keyboard player, James Hartley. “Cyberworld” is very catchy, almost AOR. But not. Not quite. But close. For Cloven Hoof. Some great backing vocals on this, for the first time either used, or credited. If the latter, then the man who gets the plaudits is Lee Small. “Kiss of evil” opens with a big, Thin Lizzy-esque guitar, then gets down and dirty, though I have to say I'm not that fond of the shouted vocal in the chorus. “Eye of the zombie” keeps up the pressure, with a great hook and again fine backing vocal, but by “Absolute power” it seems Moreton's voice is settling back into that gutteral growl he began the album with and the song is not helped by the rap elements --- yeah, that's what I said! --- in it. Don't like this one. Might be for fans of harder Metallica, possibly.
“Whore of Babylon” is off and rocking again, with Moreton a little more restrained in his vocals this time, but he's definitely no replacement for Russ North. Nice picked guitar introduces “Golgotha”, with a really laid-back vocal, neither of which last as the song explodes into life, powering straight into speed metal territory before dropping right back to gentle guitar and low-key vocal, then heavy again to the conclusion. Interesting song, based not surprisingly given the title around the Crucifixion. A few religious themes throughout this album, now that I look at it.
“King for a day” is
very Metallica, a mid-paced cruncher with growly guitars and energetic drumming, and to be honest I have to say that I notice no discernible contribution by Hartley on the keys. Kind of makes you wonder why they bothered: doesn't seem to have made any real difference to the band's sound. More Lizzy-like guitar, then we're into the closer, “Angels in Hell”. And now I can hear the effect of the keyboards, though it's a little late. Extremely unsettling intro, with almost quiet death vocal growling as Moreton recites extracts from The Lord's Prayer, then the song kicks into a high-powered rocker to end the album on a powerful note.
All in all though, I see “Eye of the sun” as a backward step for Cloven Hoof, retracing the kind of music they plied on their debut album, when they had managed to pin down a fairly perfect formula with the second and third album. It's a pity they couldn't have kept that lineup together: might have been more succesful, or at least more prolific.
TRACKLISTING
1. Inquisitor
2. Eye of the sun
3. Cyberworld
4. Kiss of evil
5. Eye of the zombie
6. Absolute power
7. Whore of Babylon
8. Golgotha
9. King for a day
10. Angels in Hell
Since that album was released, Cloven Hoof have reformed, so to speak, which is to say that the three who recorded “Dominator” and “A sultan's ransom” with Lee Payne have returned, and together they worked on a remixed collection of their best songs, with Mick Powell coming on as second guitarist. A new album was scheduled for 2010, but only developed into an EP, “Throne of damnation”, with some new songs alongside some already recorded.
Frustratingly, the band remains fluid, with people leaving, joining, leaving, rejoining, and so on, so that there is not at the moment a stable lineup. Perhaps this is Cloven Hoof's, if you'll forgive the mixed metaphor, Achille's heel. If they could stay together long enough they could probably record a really good album, but each change of personnel seems to morph the sound into another shape and direction. Though still around today, the guys' latest release has been a remixed update of “Dominator”. Perhaps that in itself tells its own story.