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Interview
CLOVEN HOOF
(Questionnaire by OFFICER NICE)
A talk with
RUSS NORTH (Lead Vocals) & LEE PAYNE (Bass Guitar)
METAL TO INFINITY
Q: Hi Lee, first of all thanks for the opportunity to do an interview with one of THE cult bands of the NWOBHM, the mighty Cloven Hoof. You're writing, recording and performing Heavy Metal music for more than 25 years now. What is it that makes this music so special for you that you've stayed true and loyal to it throughout all these years?
Lee: As a musician all you can wish for, is that your songs connect with people on an emotional level. When fans tell me that Cloven hoof songs provide a sound track for there lives then that is a humbling and rewarding experience. If people get off on our music, like I got off on Deep Purple and Black Sabbath... Then that is the ultimate reward, and we have touched the sun!
I always write from the heart and imagination, I never listen to what other bands are doing, I just let my mind compose mini film type scenarios and put them to music. All the Cloven hoof material start of this way as stories that are placed into lyrics and they imply a melody and structure to me. The subject storyline matter dictates the atmosphere and I chip away at it like putting a jigsaw together, I suppose that is why the band has it's own unique identity, the material is created in a certain way.
I have always been inspired by a steady diet of Greek, and Norse mythology, old horror and sci-fi films and Marvel comic books. I suppose this amalgamation of things that fuled my imagination is mixed up and synthesised into our songs. I have pretty vivid nightmares too, and many of our riffs are playing as a background track to these. I keep a tape recorder by the bed and I hum song ideas into it sometimes in the middle of the night. This drives my girlfriends crazy, they must think I am insane singing away into a tape machine in the middle of the night. No wonder they always end up walking out! It is true to say I am married to Cloven hoof... Nothing else really matters to me. When they leave I say... Take what you want but leave the guitars and the dog! That will be my epitaph!
The band has always stayed true to it's roots, and it will never abandon it's identity for fashion trends. Metal kids are free thinking and will use there taste to decide what is good and what is not in the end. They will not follow fashion, in fact true metal rebels at the concept of that. It will never conform. That is why I love the freedom of playing music from the heart, that is what heavy metal is all about.
Q: For many fans Cloven Hoof is one of the very best of the occult NWOBHM bands and right up there with the likes of Witchfynde, Angel Witch, Hell and Witchfinder General. What is it that makes your band stand out among all the other promising Hard Rock and Heavy Metal outfits that started their careers in the UK in the early 80s? And why do you think has Cloven Hoof survived while so many of your contemporaries didn't make it and gave up their musical career at one point or another?
Russ: Ultimate belief in what you do. The UK market for metal music is extremely complex, you just have to continue the fight. musicians attitudes change and sometimes they give up the dream or move on. Cloven Hoof still have the fight, -the- dream, and no one will stand in our way. We are here to stay.
BEN READ 
JON BROWN
Q: If you compare Cloven Hoof today with Cloven Hoof in its early days, which incarnation of the band was stronger? Of course, records like the first EP or the self titled LP are timeless classics but I'd even go as far as to say that the rerecorded songs on your new CD ''The Definitive Part One'' are just as good as the old classics...
Lee: The main reason for recording the definitive was to show how good the line up today is playing the back catalogue. And get Russ's approach to the vocals down on the classics. ''The Definitive Part One'' is CLOVEN HOOF striped to the bone playing live in the studio with minimum overdubs. We made a conscious effort to try to capture the live energy that the band have on stage. Because nothing was labored over, the CD sounds fresh and dynamic. ''The Definitive Part One'' is pure HOOF, without drum machines or studio trickery, but the production is clear and captures an actual band performance raw and real. In fact only the vocals and lead solo's were over dubbed.
Q:One thing that I totally love about the new CD is the fact that Russ North is back in the band now. In my opinion he's the very best singer that Cloven Hoof ever had!! I just hope he's back for good now and won't leave anytime soon...
Russ: Thank you for your kind words. I have no intention of leaving Cloven Hoof, we still have so much to do, and i am enjoying myself too much.
Q: As I've just introduced your new CD ''The Definitive Part One'' a few moments ago , let's talk about it a little bit. First of all I'd like to know when and why you got the idea to rerecord the band's old classics.
Russ: The idea to re record our classic songs has been around for quite some time, we just needed the timing to be right. With the new era of fans contacting Cloven Hoof with request's and poor production on some recordings we thought we would bring the history of the band up to date. for old and new fans to enjoy.
Q: By what criteria have you chosen the track list for ''The Definitive Part One''?
Russ: This was no easy task...Lee and I had a lot of fun deciding hence the part one" title. Making sure to take two or three off each album was the start then breaking it into two albums and getting the right balance.
Q: Since the CD is called ''The Definitive Part One'', I'm sure there'll be a second part someday, too. Do you already know when you'll record the second instalment of this series and what songs will be on it?
Lee: Yes we will be recording part two before the end of the year. We have chosen the songs for part two (Cloven Hoof - Highlander - Forgotten Heroes - Dominator - Angels in hell - King for a day - The Fugitive - Notre Dame - Starship Sentinel - Death Valley Racer - Warriors of the Wasteland - Northwind to Valhalla (Bonus track)
Q: What puzzled me a bit is that you did not only rerecord songs from the albums with David Potter, Rob Hendrick and Matt Moreton, but also tracks that have already been originally with the former-and-now-again Cloven Hoof front man Russ North on vocals, as e.g. 'Nova Battlestar' or 'Mistress Of The Forest'. Why did you chose to rerecord these songs as well?
Russ: As mentioned before some of those earlier recordings suffered from poor production, and it is a definitive collection of our work. It is also great for the new fans who would like to hear our earlier work.
Q: Among others, ''The Definitive Part One'' does also contain two songs from the bands' second-to-last album ''Eye Of The Sun'', which was kinda different from the classic Cloven Hoof sound. While the original versions of 'Inquisitor' and 'Kiss Of Evil' had a little modern touch, the re-recordings sound totally old school. Which versions do you like better? Are you still happy with the songs on 'Eye Of The Sun' or would you say that it would probably have been better if you'd stuck to a more old school sound and approach on that album?
Lee: The only thing missing from "Eye of the sun" for me was Russ's voice. Matt did a great job and his voice is terriffic, but Mr North has the ultimate hoof voice. He had legal commitments in Spain, and was unable to rejoin the band at the time. But I demoed up all the songs over there with him for E.O.T.S. Now he is back in the band for good, thank goodness. I still think the material was great, and the production was brilliant. But maybe in hindsight it was a little too slick. I much prefer a live band in the studio, without tons of overdubs. Metal should have live energy, tight but loose.
Q: Next to the 10 rerecorded songs, ''The Definitive Part One'' does also contain a brandnew title, namely the furious neckbreaker 'Mutilator', which reminds me quite a lot of 'Screaming For Vengeance'-era Judas Priest. This song clearly proves that Cloven Hoof is still going immensely strong. Would you say that 'Mutilator' is representative for the material on the next full length album? And have you already written any other tracks? If so, what are the song titles and what do they sound like?
Lee: Mutilator is a perfect track to give everyone a taster of "Throne of Damnation". I think you will be in for a metal feast with ''Throne of Damnation'' it will be our darkest and heaviest album ever. The self titled debut album had a brooding doom laden menace, that echoed perfectly the occult leanings of my writing at the time. ''Dominator'' fused prog rock with pure power, in a concept album that was a metaphor about the dangers inherent in genetic engineering.
I think it was pivotal in providing the blue print for power metal. ''A Sultans Ransom'' was an eclectic mixture of songs celebrating our fusing of metal and varied musical styles, from Arabian influenced time signatures to hard hitting thrash. It is very pleasing indeed to see some critics naming it in the top ten best ever power metal albums. T.O.D has elements of all these albums, but it is very aggressive and dark. We will start recording it in December and January. All the songs are written, and we have 15 tracks in total.
Q: In 2004 I was lucky enough to see Cloven Hoof live on stage at Keep It True festival. It was a great gig and I'd love to see you guys on stage again someday. So I wonder if there are any concerts or festival appearances planned on the mainland in the near future?
Lee: We have shows in Greece coming up, and Metal Maniacs 2008 Festival in Holland. In November we play the last ever gig at the ruskin for Clive aid. Some of Maiden will probably be turning up too, so it will be an amazing night! But next year Russ and I can't wait to play in Germany at the KEEP IT TRUE 12 FESTIVAL. To celebrate the NWOBHM there is a fantastic tribute backing band, called ROXXCALIBUR. They will play great metal cover versions, joined by original artists from the UK. CLOVEN HOOF will be represented by us, and we will perform "The Gates of Gehenna" and "Laying down the law"! We can't wait!!!
Q: What's the best way for the Cloven Hoof fans to stay up to date about any news from the CH camp?
Lee: Check out the official cloven hoof web site...
Myspace site: http://www.myspace.com/clovenhoofofficial
Thanks for the interview, Lee. Is there anything left you still wanna say to all your fans who've read the interview this far?
Lee and Russ: It has been an honour and a privilege Metal infinity, thanks for your time. It is great to have the opportunity to spread the CLOVEN HOOF message. The fans are all important to the band, In one week... out the next, was never what Heavy metal stood for. The music was all that mattered, it was underground and ignored trends. The grass roots fans made there own minds not told what to think and wear, like sheep. We believe in die hard, free thinking and imaginative real metal supporters everywhere, we want to be a true peoples band. Our music is never safe and repetitive, we want it to be epic and always hard rocking for the faithful.
Thank all our loyal fans for supporting us all these years, Keep it true!
