U.K. metal legends Cloven Hoof take first U.S. tour to Border Bar in Pittston on May 23
From a press release:
While they released their debut album back in 1984, classic New Wave of British Heavy Metal pioneers Cloven Hoof never toured the United States until last fall. Yesterday, they kicked off the official continuation of their first-ever U.S. tour with Philadelphia progressive metal band Crown of Earth, which will stop at the Border Bar in Pittston on Thursday, May 23.
Hosted by local music promotion and production team Camp Rattler, the 18+ show will also feature opening sets by Scranton hard rock and metal bands These Idol Hands, Earthmouth, and Threatpoint.
Doors at the Border Bar (170 Laurel St., Pittston) open at 6 p.m., and the concert starts at 7 p.m. Tickets are $10 at the door.
Cloven Hoof has attained an almost legendary status as one of the influential bands to come out of the NWOBHM movement in the 1970s and ’80s.
Originally formed in the heart of the West Midlands, England in 1979, the lineup consisted of Lee Payne bass guitar, David Potter on vocals, Steve Rounds on lead guitar, and Kevin Pountney on drums. The first demo tape the band did together was given the thumbs up from no less than Robert Plant of Led Zeppelin, who took a copy of the tape into national Radio One, and Rob Halford of Judas Priest, who got it played on a radio station in Phoenix, Arizona. The station was bombarded with heavy metal callers who wanted to know more about the band. Soon after, the group was taken under the wing of ex-Judas Priest manager David Hemmings.
Since then, the band has released a string of worldwide critically acclaimed albums and EPs like “Cloven Hoof” (1984), “Dominator” (1988), and “A Sultan’s Ransom” (1989).
The group has undergone a hiatus in the ’90s and various lineup changes, as is customary for a band with a 30-year history of making uncompromising British metal music, but now the band is back with a new lineup consisting of Lee Payne (bass), George Call (vocals), Luke Hatton (guitar), Chris Coss (guitar), and Danny White (drums). In 2017, Cloven Hoof put out their seventh full-length album, “Who Mourns for the Morning Star,” the first outing with the current lineup that received fantastic reviews upon its release.
“I first heard George Call’s voice when he was performing with ASKA at the Keep It True Festival in Germany. I knew right away that this was the voice I was after. I was also blown away with Danny White’s performance on the drums. We made a promise there and then that we would work together one day,” Payne said.
Metal Injection says Cloven Hoof has been a “criminally overlooked NWOBHM band,” so with new blood and a brand new album to support, “Immortality Denied” on Pure Steel Records, they are primed and ready to gain their rightful place among the heavy metal big hitters.
After the hugely successful tour last year, Cloven Hoof is back by popular demand for another onslaught on North American and Canadian soil. This May and June will see the band play a mammoth string of dates across the Atlantic to build on their sizable fan base stateside.
Learn more about Camp Rattler metal shows in in Episode 61 of the NEPA Scene Podcast:
