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)
Gates Of Gehenna
Cloven Hoof Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Look on high son of man I stand before you
Cesestial traveller of time and space
Take my hand discover realms beyond the living
Cast aside the mortal fears that ever plague your race
Leave your world behind seek and you will find the Gates of Gehenna
Sinners scream from tormented fate redemption but a dream too late
Damnated souls in the aftermath of Gods own
Wrath, with paradise lost forever, and ever
[Part 3 - Truth Unmasked]
Now you will know your reason here
Mine is Lucifer, destructor, abductor of your soul
Seek not escape once lured to Hell's own kingdom
None may elude my presence nor relinquish my dread control
You are sold to brutality never to break free the Gates of Gehenna
[Part 4 - Requiem]
My fate is sealed in shadow denied the gift of light
Cast down damnated banished from salvations sight
The prey of the betrayer, spirits never finding peace
An eternity of suffering possessed without release
You'll never get away, no...
The lyrics of "Gates of Gehenna" by Cloven Hoof talks about Lucifer, who manipulated Adam and Eve into eating the forbidden fruit, thus condemning mankind to a life of sin and revealing his true identity as the destroyer and abductor of the soul. The song encourages the listener to seek out the Gates of Gehenna, a metaphorical representation of Hell, as a way to escape the mortal fears that plague humanity.
Part 1 of the lyrics talks about a celestial traveler of time and space, who stands before the listener, offering to take him on a journey of discovery to realms beyond the living. The second part, "Beyond the Veil," depicts the image of sinners screaming from tormented fate and redemption becoming a dream too late. The third part, "Truth Unmasked," reveals the sinister intention of the celestial traveler as he declares himself to be Lucifer, abductor of souls, and destructor. The final section, "Requiem," talks about the eternal suffering of the spirits that are possessed without release in Hell.
The song's lyrics preach Luciferianism, a belief that elevates Lucifer as the true bringer of light and knowledge, while denouncing the Christian belief of God and the Bible. The song's title itself is a reference to Gehenna, a Hebrew word which refers to a deep and narrow valley south of Jerusalem, which was used as a garbage dump, and later became associated with Hell in Jewish and Christian scriptures.
Line by Line Meaning
Look on high son of man I stand before you
As a celestial traveller, I am here to guide you towards enlightenment.
Cesestial traveller of time and space
I have the ability to transcend time and space.
Take my hand discover realms beyond the living
I can lead you to discover worlds beyond the material realm.
Cast aside the mortal fears that ever plague your race
Let go of your earthly fears and embrace a higher level of existence.
Leave your world behind seek and you will find the Gates of Gehenna
To find the ultimate truth, you must leave behind your current reality and enter the realm of Gehenna.
Sinners scream from tormented fate redemption but a dream too late
Those who have strayed from the righteous path will suffer for eternity, redemption is no longer an option.
Damnated souls in the aftermath of Gods own
Those who are condemned will suffer the consequences of their actions for all eternity.
Wrath, with paradise lost forever, and ever
The wrath of God will result in eternal damnation, with no hope of ever entering paradise.
Now you will know your reason here
You will finally understand the purpose of your existence.
Mine is Lucifer, destructor, abductor of your soul
I am Lucifer, the bringer of destruction and the one who can take your soul away.
Seek not escape once lured to Hell's own kingdom
Once you have entered the realm of Hell, there is no escaping its grasp.
None may elude my presence nor relinquish my dread control
No one can escape me and I have complete control over all who enter Hell.
You are sold to brutality never to break free the Gates of Gehenna
Those who enter Hell are doomed to endless brutality and have no means of escaping their fate.
My fate is sealed in shadow denied the gift of light
I have been condemned to an eternal existence in the darkness, without the hope of ever seeing the light again.
Cast down damnated banished from salvations sight
I have been cast out from salvation's sight and am forever condemned.
The prey of the betrayer, spirits never finding peace
I am the prey of the ultimate betrayer, and my spirit will never find peace.
An eternity of suffering possessed without release
I will suffer for all eternity, with no hope of release from the torment.
You'll never get away, no...
There is no escape from the eternal damnation that awaits.
Contributed by Hunter B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.