Ελληνικά
Last Updated on 03:26 PM by Giorgos Tsekas
Genre: Heavy/Power Metal
Country: England
Label: Pure Steel Records
Year: 2020
As Cloven Hoof’s recent visit in Greece proved, the band is in a perfect shape and this make me wanna hear as soon as possible their new album. George Call’s recruitment was the wake up punch they needed to get themselves together while Lee Payne stands imperious against Time and incarnates the spirit and the values of Cloven Hoof. The rest of the line up blend harmoniously and create a compact group, which they proved in their live performance. Even in their early days and their N.W.O.B.H.M. era, Cloven Hoof had strong US Metal influences and elements in their sound, perhaps more than anyone else in the UK at the time. They did not lose their traditional Heavy Metal character, but they seemed capable of listening of what was happening outside their narrow microcosm. In “Age of Steel” they seem to be quite influenced by Euro Power, which means that we will jump into strong guitars and vocal melodies. The aura of Iron Maiden is also very strong, sometimes to a point higher than desired. However, this is not able to reduce the total value of the album, which is full of beautiful ideas and songs that will claim a place in their set lists, next to those from the glorious past in their future concerts. Cloven Hoof in 2020 is not a nostalgia band, but they show that they have a real reason to exist, they are productive and they can offer a lot to their fans. “Age of Steel” will keep a good company to them for a long time.
3,5/6
