CLOVEN HOOF – Time Assassin

CLOVEN HOOF – Time Assassin
Label(s):
Heavy Metal Records
Released Year:
2022
Type:
Full-length
Tracklist:
1. Guardians of the Universe2. Liquidator3. Lords of Death4. After Forever5. Time Assassin6. Beltaine Fire7. Highway Man8. Tokyo Knights9. Carnival of Lost Souls

The legendary British heavy metallers CLOVEN HOOF return with their ninth album “Time Assassin”, and the expectation is quite high as their previous record, “Age of Steel“, gave some excellent samples of heavy metal such as β€œJudas”, β€œTouch the Rainbow” and β€œVictim of the Furies” that the old fans liked a lot. Their new effort follows the same direction, with a much stronger emphasis on powerful and high-energetic songs.

At first, we must say that with this album the band puts an end to the wishful thinking of some old fans who still hope for an album similar in sound to “Dominator” or “A Sultan’s Ransom. “Time Assassin” follows the CLOVEN HOOF sound from 2005 and afterwards, and some songs present the heaviest face of the band until now. β€œLiquidator” and β€œLords of Death” are perhaps the bands most aggressive songs, like a mixture of JUDAS PRIEST’s “Jugulator” with ICED EARTH’s “Horror Show. The same holds for β€œTime Assassin” and, in general, half of the albums’ songs are in this direction. Difficult, non-melodic songs, quite aggressive, that the old fans of the band will probably won’t like, but some more modern heavy metal fans will perhaps find the power and the energy of those songs appealing.

The big surprise of the album comes in the last 4 songs. The melodies we met inΒ “Age of Steel” return and raise the level of the album. Especially β€œTokyo Knights” and β€œCarnival of Lost Souls” are very good tracks, and it’s a shame that the album doesn’t have more songs like those. β€œBeltaine Fire” and β€œHighway Man” are also good, with nice melodic vocals by George Call, who doesn’t sound like an angry version of β€œRipper” Owens, like in the first part of the album.

In general,Β β€œTime Assassin” has a lot of energy and power and the fans of modern power/heavy metal will like the album in its totality, but perhaps a more traditional fan would expect more melodies and less β€œscreams” and β€œnoisy production”. But even for the traditional metalheads, the album has several β€œclassic” and more melodic moments that those fans will enjoy and appreciate.

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