Cloven Hoof

England's Cloven Hoof combine blazing riffs, potent melodies, and power metal pageantry to deliver larger-than-life hard rock tales rooted in the occult, sci-fi, and fantasy. The group's innate musicality and dynamic stage presence (members initially adopted pseudonyms based on the four elements, Water, Fire, Air, and Earth) helped make them leading lights of the second generation of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal. Cloven Hoof issued a trio of acclaimed efforts, including their eponymous 1984 debut, before calling it quits in 1990. Re-forming in the 2000s with a re-tooled lineup -- founding bassist Lee Payne is the sole constant member -- the group has continued to wave the NWOBHM torch, maintaining a loyal fan base via theatrical live shows and a rich discography that includes assured studio albums like Eye of the Sun (2006), Resist or Serve (2014), and Heathen Cross (2024).