Cloven Hoof - Resist or Serve

Cloven Hoof Resist or Serve cover
Cloven Hoof
Resist or Serve
High Roller Records
2014
5
Cloven Hoof were a band that did release some of the finer albums of the entire NWOBHM subgenre... and did for a few years carry a mythos that was very much both a blessing and a curse...
 
A blessing, obviously because it brought them prestige, with even people like Rob Halford and Robert Plant speaking of them quite complimentary and a curse because they always had to put out works of the highest order...
 
The band went from strength to strength possibly peaking with the duet of bordering on power metal albums of “Dominator” and “A Sultan’s Ransom” that featured Russ North, an impressive tenor, comparable, only with people like “The Tyrant” etc., some pretty amazing songwriting etc., still considered as classics of the genre. Unfortunately the band folded a while after the release of the latter, only to return many years later... around the turn of the millennium... sometimes featuring Russ North and sometimes not.
 
Another album came out in 2006, “Eye of the Sun” that was by no means bad, but not quite as impressive as their “past glories”… the band released a re-recordings album, with a reinstated Russ North, around 2008 entitled “The Definitive Part I”, which featured some material that was meant to be featured in their “forthcoming album – “this one”... Russ North and the line-ups of the band kept changing, frequently, with Russ returning and more soap opera drama ensuing in-frequently… there was a short lived “I am your Nemesis” line-up-that only managed one video, before the singer got completely scrapped... in favor of a returning RN. For better or worse it seems that portions of that band might still be “manning the band”... after some more “drama” North was sacked once more, citing unprofessional behavior during a Cyprus gig... and having lost his singing ability, through negligence.
 
Sure, the entire “Cloven band” as typical Brits might have liked the bottle of booze a bit on occasion, but I rarely did consider a Russ performance to be terribly bad. Well maybe once, but then the entire band sounded pretty ropey and the venue where they played was quite shitty too. In his place we now find, ex Pop/UK Idol contestant Joe Whelan, (who cried when Sharon Osbourne told him he wasn’t very good – gosh that’s metal) who also the band acts as a support band in solo gigs, a half decent pop/rock singer with a decent range, but a generic timbre, that doesn’t really stand out and a far more “modern approach” and a much lighter presence... without being technically bad, I’d probably use him only for backing vocals and he’s automatically my least favorite person to have sung for Cloven Hoof. (Ok, that “Nemesis” guy, actually would win that spot…)
 
It’d actually pretty bad, because I was thinking that with North, the same album, could have been a lot better… “even the same album...” Whelan is not a bad player, but while some of the older more classic riffs, are good, his more modern stuff he attempts, in an effort to update the sound, are not really going anywhere... if Chris Coss, is the guy they had in their last Greek gigs – then that guitarist is much more reserved, but a lot more steady and serious. (one can only try and guess who does what however) the rhythm section is nice and does its job well, but the production is a little too modern to appreciate this with the guitars particularly, sounding too “bright” and too “vibrant” and for no reason way high in the mix, sometimes even antagonizing the vocals in the mix… which is not good.
 
It’s really a shame, there are a bunch of songs that had potential... but the way they are presented here… they are not really impressive... as if they’re missing some serious ingredient... for me it’s a guy with charisma. Russ North was a singer with charisma. This “Whelan” fella is fair, but is nowhere the same class. The “Russ had lost his voice” – well he didn’t sound that bad on the “rerecorded best of” but he might have been hard to work with… that’s another “possibility”… I cannot and do not wish to go inside band politics, I am just stating “MY” point of view as a longtime fan.
 
This album is not the terrible mess it could have been, but in no way shape or form is a triumph. And Whelan is largely not the proper guy to lead the band… he’s a decent guitarist and sure he could add backing and occasional lead vocals, for sure, but all leads, No...
 
“Call of the Dark Ones” is a promising Cthulu inspired opener, that however is way too fast and too “bright” sounding to bear a title like that… it has a nice bunch of riffs and a section that has a more Metallica meets some newer thrash bands type of feel, but leaves you a bit confused... I guess. The title definitely had me expecting something doomier and gloomier, for sure.
 
“Helldiver” is not that different stylistically, but it drops speed a bit, it even feels like it’s using a similar philosophy and could have come from the same songwriting session as the opener. The chorus, is catchy if not a little stupidly “poppy” at least here, it sort of is more apparent… and works better...
 
“Deliverance” attempts to become a bit more “socially conscientious” and manages to produce a bit of a poppier sing-along song, but all grudges aside, it’s catchy enough…
 
“Brimstone and Fire” has a simple and effective riff and build and a rather simple melodic line – but works very well... even with the wise kid.
 
“Valhalla” is a typical, Norse mythology inspired, mid-tempo crunchy song, that’s not particularly bad, but this is a song that Whelan, just sounds way too generic in. I am sure a North version would have been far superior in every way shape and form... or at least any guy possessing a “dramatic” type of voice or at least some more interesting timbre, than this guy. Sorry but I can’t really dig it, no matter how good the song might be, no matter if it’s not got some “out and out” flaw...
 
A fine example of what I said above is “Mutilator” a song that already had been recorded by North, for inclusion in the “Definitive Part 1”... Whelan’s take on the same song, is thinner, “happier” and doesn’t just impress as much, for some reason. I think that a combined one, would have sounded so amazing that would have just smashed all antagonism to bits and smithereens but, well I suppose having too many egos in a band and too many people acting like divas…
 
“Anti-Matter Man” has a decent riff and chorus but gets repetitive too soon and just goes on like that all the way through...
 
“Cycle of Hate” is the most modern sounding song on the album so inherently the least likeable to an old schooler.
 
“Premature Burial” is very weird, as it’s got a lot of different styles and ideas fused together in a slightly eastern, gloomy, alt, doomy amalgam... that’s not horrible as it looks on paper... but again I was wondering is this the new “Cloven Hoof” album or am I listening to Alice In Chains or something completely different?! Not bad, but…
 
“Austrian Assault” is some tribute to the “Austrian” fans? (Who?) Possibly because the band played some big gig there… but then again, I suppose that means that the German or the Greek fans should start complaining already! Austrian?! Pffff...
 
OK. I think I made my point. Not a complete godamn disaster, but this album needed better/different vocals. Since it was made rather clear that Russ North is highly unlikely to return, ehm, find someone who sounds either like him, or really someone who sounds old school. Not a nu-kid. It won’t fly with the old crowd. Sadly a missed opportunity. (The last 3 tracks are pretty average or bad, but had North sung or done the leads on this album, up to his usual standards, another 2,5-3 points could easily been added to this.)