For as much as I pride myself on being a completist, it is hard for me to get back onboard with a band after a disappointing album. This was exactly the case with NWOBHM veterans Cloven Hoof, whose 2020 album, Age of Steel, left me so underwhelmed that I completely missed its 2022 follow up, Time Assassin. Truth be told, I probably wouldn’t have even explored their latest album, Heathen Cross, had it not been for a few key shifts that reeled me back in.
For one, there have been quite a few personnel changes since yours truly last listened to a new Cloven Hoof album, the most crucial being the addition of legendary Jag Panzer/Satan’s Host frontman Harry “The Tyrant” Conklin on vocals. In addition, former guitarist Ash Baker has returned, albeit shifting to the drums, and they’ve also added a keyboardist/backing singer in Chris Dando, who handles lead vocals in the Magnum offshoot Kingdom of Madness. Have you lost track yet? What was perhaps most intriguing about Heathen Cross was its promise of a return to the band’s occult roots, at least thematically speaking.
Taking this into mind, I went into Heathen Cross with hopes of something fresh and invigorating from these old timers, something that would wash away the sour aftertaste of Age of Steel. While this album is not completely devoid of its power metal moments (with the singer of Jag Panzer at the helm, how could it be?), whether it be the rampaging “Redeemer” or galloping “Darkest Before the Dawn”, it’s far from a full blown power metal affair. No, Heathen Cross indeed sounds like a modernized spin on their classic 1984 self titled debut, and although these songs don’t boast the immediate black magic that lured headbangers in 40 years ago, I’m here for this infernal revival.
At first I thought it was because I listened to Black Sabbath’s Anno Domini 1989-1995 collection over the weekend that I was hearing some parallels to the beloved Tony Martin era, especially with the juxtaposition of Conklin’s soaring vocals with some truly sinister riffage. Yet as Heathen Cross progressed, the similarities became more evident, especially on cuts like “Vendetta”, “Curse of the Gypsy”, and “Sabbat Stones” (not to be confused with Sabbath’s “The Sabbath Stones”). Dando has become this new incarnation of Cloven Hoof’s secret weapon, his hellish synths adding atmospheric depth amongst a sea of tradition metal melodies and picturesque occult lyricism. All of these elements come to the fore on the closing “The Summoning”, which truly channels the band’s early NWOBHM adventurism.
While I wouldn’t go so far to label this the follow up to Cloven Hoof that never was, it is a step in the right direction for this cult outfit. Their power metal cred is all but cemented in eternity, with both Dominator (1988) and A Sultan’s Ransom (1989) being undisputed masterpieces. Why continue to chase that high 35 years later when you can pick up on a chapter that you left off 40 years ago, and arguably never finished properly? I commend founding bassist Lee Payne, or as he was known a lifetime ago, Air, for this exciting pivot and look forward to what the future has in store for the new Hoof.
7 out of 10
Label: High Roller Records
Genre: Heavy Metal
For fans of: Black Sabbath, Angel Witch, Iron Maiden
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