Early Years: 1979–1987
During their early years, Cloven Hoof experienced several lineup changes before finally settling on a stable formation that lasted for their initial recordings. From the very beginning, the four band members embraced a theatrical approach and adopted pseudonyms inspired by the four elements: David "Water" Potter, Steve "Fire" Rounds, Lee "Air" Payne, and Kevin "Earth" Poutney. This lineup successfully recorded a demo tape in 1982, as well as The Opening Ritual EP and their self-titled debut album in 1984.
Following the release of their debut album, David Potter departed from the band and was replaced by Rob Kendrick, who took on the pseudonym "Water." This lineup only managed to record the live album Fighting Back (1987) before disbanding, leaving Lee Payne as the sole remaining member.
1988–1990
In 1988, Lee Payne revived the band and recruited vocalist Russ North and guitarist Andy Wood from the band Tredegar, along with drummer Jon Brown. With a fresh lineup in place, the band abandoned their stage names and went on to produce two more albums: Dominator (1988) and A Sultan's Ransom (1989). Lee Jones, a former member of Tredegar, joined as a second guitarist shortly after the release of these albums. However, contractual issues led to another breakup in 1990.
2001–2007
In the summer of 2001, Lee Payne began assembling a new lineup for the next iteration of Cloven Hoof, following a discussion with Andy Wood regarding the previous contractual difficulties that had caused the band's decade-long hiatus. The band made a live appearance at the Keep It True II Festival in Lauda-Königshofen, Germany, on April 10, 2004.
They recorded and released Eye of the Sun in 2006, featuring musicians Matt Moreton on vocals, Andy Shortland on guitars, and Lynch Radinsky on drums. The album was produced by Tom Galley. Due to various members' work commitments, the band was unable to perform live, prompting Lee Payne to once again recruit new personnel.
Vocalist Russ North returned to England and rejoined the band after spending some time living in Spain. The band's lineup was eventually completed by Mick Powell and Ben Read on guitars, along with Jon Brown on drums.
2008–Present
In early 2008, the band released a collection of re-recorded songs titled The Definitive Part One, with plans to release a new EP called Throne of Damnation in 2010.
Cloven Hoof co-headlined the Metal Brew Festival in Mill Hill with Pagan Altar in 2008. Both bands also performed at the British Steel IV Festival at the Camden Underworld in 2009. On June 27, 2009, Cloven Hoof appeared at the Bang Your Head!!! festival in Balingen, Germany, sharing the stage with bands like W.A.S.P., U.D.O., Blind Guardian, and Journey, despite the heavy rain during their set.
The track "Nightstalker" from Cloven Hoof's debut album was featured in the soundtrack for the Brütal Legend computer game.
In early 2010, following Russ North's departure, Matt Moreton was enlisted to record the vocals for the Throne of Damnation EP. However, Moreton left the band shortly afterward due to health issues. On December 13, 2010, Cloven Hoof released their first DVD titled A Sultan's Ransom - Video Archive. It featured footage from a 1989 concert at Lichfield Art Centre, as well as two music videos for the songs "Mad, Mad World" and "Highlander" from A Sultan's Ransom.
In 2011, Lee Payne embarked on rebuilding the band by bringing in guitarist Joe Whelan from the band Dementia and guitarist Chris Coss from UK/DC. Drummer Mark Gould and Ash Cooper joined as well, providing vocals. This lineup released a music video called "I'm Your Nemesis" and an updated version of "Nightstalker." However, Russ North parted ways with Cloven Hoof for the final time in July 2012, following a controversial performance in Cyprus. Mark Gould also left the band in August 2012, and Jake Oseland replaced him on drums in time for a series of live shows in 2013.
The 2013 lineup of Cloven Hoof scheduled their debut UK concert appearance at Wolverhampton Civic Hall on March 30, 2013, alongside Jameson Raid and Hollow Ground. On April 27, 2013, Cloven Hoof performed a concert at the Parkhotel Hall in Tirol, Austria, which was recorded by producer Patrick Engel for a future live album release. The band had plans to release a studio album provisionally titled Resist or Serve on High Roller Records.
On June 23, 2013, Cloven Hoof played at the R-Mine Festival in Belgium, sharing the bill with Hell, Tygers of Pan Tang, and Tank. They also made an appearance at the Heavy Metal Night 6 Festival in Italy on September 21, 2013. In 2014, Cloven Hoof was added to the lineup for the Sweden Rock Festival, performing alongside Black Sabbath and Alice Cooper. They were also scheduled to perform at the Power and Glory Festival in Hatfield on August 23, 2014, with additional European tour dates planned for the year.
Discography
Cloven Hoof (1984)
Fighting Back (1986)
Dominator (1988)
A Sultan's Ransom (1989)
Eye of the Sun (2006)
Throne of Damnation (2014)
Who Mourns for the Morning Star? (2017)
The Age of Steel (2020)
Time Assassin (2022)
Dominator
Cloven Hoof Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Born to lead.
Test tube selection,
For the Arian strain.
Genetic rejection,
The silicon seed,
Implanted evil in
Embryonic brain.
[Chorus:]
The scientists made way for the
Master race,
Changed the face,
Of galactic history.
Enslave the frontiers of time
And space,
One mad man came to be...
Dominator!
Dominator!
Scanning dominions in his power dome,
Patched into the grad computer prime.
High evolutionary,
On mechanised throne.
Divine lord of all,
By grand design.
[Chorus:]
Dominator!
Oppressor of the free.
Terminator!
Of humanity.
Into the Arena,
To satisfy,
The bloodlust in his all seeing,
Photo scenic eye.
Gladiator's fight,
The spectacle of might.
Giving of their very
Lives for the games.
Cosmic champions all they came,
The slayer and the slain,
Put to sword and flame.
That a star system lives,
A star system dies!
The lyrics to Cloven Hoof's "Dominator" are about a tyrant ruler who was cloned for perfection and genetically engineered to lead, as a part of a plan to create a master race. The first stanza of the song talks about the process of creating him, where he was selected in a test tube for the perfect Arian strain but a silicon seed was implanted in his embryonic brain, which eventually led to his evil nature. The chorus talks about how the scientists made way for this master race, which changed the galactic history.
The second stanza talks about the ruler's power, where he is in control of everything in his power dome and is connected to the grand computer prime, making him a high evolutionary on a mechanized throne. He is referred to as a divine lord by grand design. The chorus is repeated, and these lines are repeated several times:
Dominator!
Oppressor of the free.
Terminator!
Of humanity.
The last stanza talks about the ruler's thirst for blood and his love for the gladiatorial games, where he satisfies his bloodlust by watching cosmic champions fight to the death. The games are said to be the spectacle of might, with gladiators giving their lives for the amusement of their ruler, with a star system living or dying based on the outcome of the games.
Overall, "Dominator" is a warning against the dangers of unchecked power and the cruelty of those who seek to use it to oppress others.
Line by Line Meaning
Cloned for perfection,
Created through cloning for the purpose of achieving perfection.
Born to lead.
Brought into existence to become a leader.
Test tube selection,
The method of selecting individuals for life using test tubes and genetic engineering.
For the Arian strain.
Chosen for displaying qualities of the Aryan race.
Genetic rejection,
The process of discarding genetic structures that do not meet the desired criteria.
The silicon seed,
Implanted with a seed of technology in the body.
Implanted evil in
The implantation of malevolent thoughts into the mind.
Embryonic brain.
The brain of a developing embryo.
The scientists made way for the
The scientists paved the way for the rise of the
Master race,
The race that is considered superior to all others.
Changed the face,
Transformed the appearance and condition of the world.
Of galactic history.
Of the history of the galaxy.
Enslave the frontiers of time
To constrain and subjugate the limits of time.
And space,
And the vastness of the universe.
One mad man came to be...
The rise of an insane individual who gained power.
Dominator!
The ruler who dominates and controls all.
Scanning dominions in his power dome,
Examining his kingdoms from his central point of control.
Patched into the grad computer prime.
Connected to the mainframe of an advanced computer system.
High evolutionary,
Having evolved to the highest level.
On mechanised throne.
Seated on a throne that is equipped with mechanical systems.
Divine lord of all,
The lord who is treated as divine and capable of ruling all.
By grand design.
As per a preconceived, immense plan.
Oppressor of the free.
One who is suppressing the freedom and rights of others.
Terminator!
The one who terminates and puts an end to lives.
Of humanity.
Of the entire human race.
Into the Arena,
In the midst of a competitive and often violent conflict.
To satisfy,
To fulfill a passion or desire.
The bloodlust in his all seeing,
The desire for blood and violence, as viewed through his watchful eyes.
Photo scenic eye.
The eye that can capture and remember the imagery of its surroundings.
Gladiator's fight,
The battle between two gladiators.
The spectacle of might.
A magnificent display of strength and power.
Giving of their very
Sacrificing their own lives.
Lives for the games.
For the sake of entertainment in the games.
Cosmic champions all they came,
The champions who came from all corners of the cosmos.
The slayer and the slain,
Those who kill and those who are killed.
Put to sword and flame.
Executed using swords and flames.
That a star system lives,
That a whole star system can survive.
A star system dies!
A whole star system can also perish.
Contributed by Natalie G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
subson23
Man I am a recent convert but this shit is amazing. Picked up the Dominator vinyl and it's been blasting on the stereo ever since.
Jamie Warrior Warlord McCallum
awesome 2nd album from cloven hoof, from wolverhampton england, they are magic awesome new wave of british heavy metal band, i mean real soild and so damm underrated. just kick butt love the vocals of the singer. #nwobhmforever
HK Schwarz
+Jamie Warrior Warlord McCallum Agreed, way criminally under appreciated band, pure awesomeness riff by riff
Jj L
Really awesome album, the rest of their albums are on spotify now, their 80s stuff is amazing!
Marcelo Nascimento
o melhor album do cloven hoof
PoweredByDarkness
Badass artwork, sound and lyrics!!!! Trve metal attack!
Flagadorf
artwork from john blanche for Necromunda, a warhammer 40k game ;)
Sam Burnett
@Flagadorf pretty sure thats wayne england
John Briere
@Sam Burnett "Amazonia Gothique" by John Blanche during his airbrush phase :)
Stephen King
Excelente álbum