Escape Music
2006
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
Cloven Hoof originally sprang from the infamous NWOBHM movement and now they're back for more in 2006. This release came out in June but I'm just getting to reviewing it now. I figured better late than never. With all the releases that come my way I don't always have time to review or even listen to them all. I felt this one deserved a proper review treatment however and some people may still not know of this album.
Eye Of The Sun was my first experience with Cloven Hoof, though since that I have been pursuing their back catalogue. Frankly, I was quite impressed with what I heard from this album and wanted more. I'm not really familiar enough with their back catalogue to draw a lot of comparisons, but one thing I can tell you for sure is that this album caught my attention.
The sound on Eye Of The Sun is a lot of things really. One thing that impressed me about this reunion is that it's not just an attempt at trying to recapture NWOBHM music... which almost never works. Lee Payne, band leader and original member, doesn't seem content with just redoing what has been done and isn't afraid to update the band. With all the nostalgia reunions this is extremely refreshing. I can certainly hear NWOBHM style bluesy rock riffs and some anthemic 80s nods, but at the same time the sound of the album is more along the lines of modern power metal. At times the music really rips into a heavy power mold somewhere near the likes of Seven Witches or Cage. Other moments give strong reminders of the heavy groove of Sinner or the energized rocking anthems of Saxon.
Vocally, things stay pretty melodic but certainly remain metal and never get too soft. I'm reminded a bit of Mike Vescera of Obsession and there are some musical comparisons to be found there as well in their tendency towards 80s anthemic writing. On the guitar side of things, the solos on this album are tasteful, fitting extremely well into the songs, and I'm a big fan of that. Enough to add a bit of interest, but not just technicality for the sake of it.
All in all I think this album is one that could appeal to multiple crowds and succeeds in crossing over between power metal, melodic 80s rock, and the NWOBHM. If you're a fan of any of the bands mentioned or rocking traditional metal anthems you'll probably like what you find here.
Highlights: Kiss Of Evil, Cyberworld, Eye Of The Zombie, Whore Of Babylon
Rating - 3.5/5
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
Cloven Hoof originally sprang from the infamous NWOBHM movement and now they're back for more in 2006. This release came out in June but I'm just getting to reviewing it now. I figured better late than never. With all the releases that come my way I don't always have time to review or even listen to them all. I felt this one deserved a proper review treatment however and some people may still not know of this album.
Eye Of The Sun was my first experience with Cloven Hoof, though since that I have been pursuing their back catalogue. Frankly, I was quite impressed with what I heard from this album and wanted more. I'm not really familiar enough with their back catalogue to draw a lot of comparisons, but one thing I can tell you for sure is that this album caught my attention.
The sound on Eye Of The Sun is a lot of things really. One thing that impressed me about this reunion is that it's not just an attempt at trying to recapture NWOBHM music... which almost never works. Lee Payne, band leader and original member, doesn't seem content with just redoing what has been done and isn't afraid to update the band. With all the nostalgia reunions this is extremely refreshing. I can certainly hear NWOBHM style bluesy rock riffs and some anthemic 80s nods, but at the same time the sound of the album is more along the lines of modern power metal. At times the music really rips into a heavy power mold somewhere near the likes of Seven Witches or Cage. Other moments give strong reminders of the heavy groove of Sinner or the energized rocking anthems of Saxon.
Vocally, things stay pretty melodic but certainly remain metal and never get too soft. I'm reminded a bit of Mike Vescera of Obsession and there are some musical comparisons to be found there as well in their tendency towards 80s anthemic writing. On the guitar side of things, the solos on this album are tasteful, fitting extremely well into the songs, and I'm a big fan of that. Enough to add a bit of interest, but not just technicality for the sake of it.
All in all I think this album is one that could appeal to multiple crowds and succeeds in crossing over between power metal, melodic 80s rock, and the NWOBHM. If you're a fan of any of the bands mentioned or rocking traditional metal anthems you'll probably like what you find here.
Highlights: Kiss Of Evil, Cyberworld, Eye Of The Zombie, Whore Of Babylon
Rating - 3.5/5
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