CLOVEN HOOF Bassist Comments On 'The Definitive Part One'

February 17, 2008

NWOBHM (New Wave of British Heavy Metal) legends CLOVEN HOOF recently spent time in the studio re-recording 24 of their classic songs for a two-part "best-of" compilation, "The Definitive Part One" and "The Definitive Part Two". "The Definitive Part One" will be available exclusively on the band's web site from February 13 ahead of the album's official May 1 worldwide release date. It will be distributed by Universal.

Commented the group's bassist Lee Payne: "'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 laboured over, the CD sounds fresh and dynamic. Because the band will be playing all over the world from June 2008 onwards, a best of album seems the perfect way to introduce new fans to the HOOF back catalogue. All the stage favourites are here and the fans helped choose the tracks on a web site pole 6 months ago.

"The last studio album, 'Eye Of The Sun', was perfect in the sense that the band played everything to click tracks and beat detectors to give that surgical tightness. For the first time CLOVEN HOOF had slick production, but it can loose raw energy that say 'The Opening Ritual' had. Nu metal producers like eliminating feel in order to quantise everything to get that machine like punch. Producers today believe metal is all about riffs being cut up and stacked by computers and drum machine, this makes it easy to sound heavy. But in truth that approach sounds over-processed and spiritless. '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 solos were overdubbed.

"Paul ONeil produced 'The Definitive Part One', and Jon Astley, who has worked with LED ZEPPELIN, THE WHO, JUDAS PRIEST, ERIC CLAPTON, THE ROLLING STONES, mastered it. We feel that he has at last captured the true CLOVEN HOOF sound for the first time."

"The Definitive Part One" track listing:

01. Inquisitor
02. Nova Battlestar
03. The Gates of Gehenna
04. Astral Rider
05. Kiss of Evil
06. Mutilator
07. Reach for the Sky
08. Road of Eagles
09. Return of the Passover
10. Laying Down the Law
11. Mistress of the Forest

The song "Mutilator" is a taster off the forthcoming album "Throne of Damnation" that will be released towards the end of 2008.

Watch CLOVEN HOOF performing live at the British Steel Festival 2007:

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