Cloven Hoof (band)
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| Cloven Hoof | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Wolverhampton |
| Genre(s) | Heavy metal Power metal |
| Years active | 1979-1990 2000-present |
| Label(s) | Elemental Music Neat Records FM Revolver Escape Records |
| Website | Cloven Hoof |
| Members | |
| Russ North Ben Read Mick Powell Lee Payne Jon Brown |
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Cloven Hoof is a power metal band from Wolverhampton that was active from 1979 and 1990, and again from around 2000 onwards. The band were associated with the New Wave of British Heavy Metal movement, alongside bands such as Motörhead, Iron Maiden and Diamond Head. Enduring many line-up changes through their career, only bassist Lee Payne has existed as an ever-present member.
Contents |
[edit] Biography
Forming in 1979 as Nightstalker, Cloven Hoof went through a few early line-up changes, including a brief spell with vocalist Steve Sammon, before settling on a steady line-up that would last their first few recordings. Theatrical from the beginning, the four band members took up pseudonyms after the four elements - David "Water" Potter, Steve "Fire" Rounds, Lee "Air" Payne and Kevin "Earth" Poutney. This line-up recorded the band's successful demo tape from 1982, along with The Opening Ritual EP, and Cloven Hoof. Following the release of their self-titled debut, David Potter left the band to be replaced by Rob Kendrick, who took up the "Water" pseudonym. This line-up only managed to record the live album Fighting Back, before splitting up completely. Lee Payne started the band again, hiring vocalist Russ North and guitarist Andy Wood from the split up band Tredegar along with drummer Jon Brown. With a whole new set of musicians in place, the band dropped the stage names and went on to record two more albums - Dominator and A Sultan's Ransom. A second guitarist was hired soon after the release of A Sultan's Ransom (Lee Jones, another ex-Tredegar member) but contractual difficulties caused the band to split up in 1990.
In 2000, Lee Payne began putting a new line-up together. After a few years work and failure to entice back any previous Hoof members, Eye of the Sun was recorded with the help of Matt Moreton, Andy Shortland and Orlin "Lynch" Radinsky and released in 2006. Following the release, the entire line-up other than Payne was released, and Russ North returned to the fold. A brief period of line-up fluctuation could be seen on the band's website over the following few months, with former members Jon Brown and Roy Chudobskyi briefly listed as being back on board. Eventually the line-up seemed to settle with Mick Powell, a guitarist almost hired by Cloven Hoof in the early 80s, being brought in, along with Ben Read and Simon Heywood. In another unannounced change, Brown rejoined after all at the expense of Heywood.
A collection of re-recorded songs The Definitive Part One was released in early 2008, with a new album to be called Throne of Damnation scheduled for late 2008. Mick Powell played guitar and keyboards on The Definitive Part One but had left the band by the time it was released. Cloven Hoof continued for a few months as a four-piece again before Powell rejoined in April 2008.
[edit] Discography
- The Opening Ritual (EP) (1982)
- Cloven Hoof (1984)
- Fighting Back (Live album) (1986)
- Dominator (1988)
- A Sultan's Ransom (1989)
- Eye of the Sun (2006)
- The Definitive Part One (2008)
[edit] Line-up
- Russ North - Vocals
- Ben Read - Guitar
- Mick Powell - Guitar & Keyboards
- Lee Payne - Bass
- Jon Brown - Drums
[edit] Former Members
[edit] Vocals
- Steve Sammon
- David Potter
- Karl Johnson
- Derek John Hodd
- Rob Kendrick
- Matt Moreton
[edit] Guitar
- Steve Rounds
- Mick Grafton
- Andy Wood
- Roy Chudobskyi
- Andy Shortland
[edit] Drums
- Kevin Pountney
- Richard Wilson
- Orlin "Lynch" Radinsky
- Simon Heywood
[edit] External links
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