Clandestine Cut Of The Year - Metal Storm Awards 2025

Clagarnaċ - Foscadh

Issue #8 Winner

Clagarnaċ from Galway was one of those rare bands that could make folk metal that appealed even to non-fans of the genre. Was, because the band split up for unknown reasons right after releasing their first EP. Foscadh is the legacy of a band that emerged sometime in the early 2020s from the cold ashes of Na Cruithne, and, despite their short-lived existence, carved out a small niche of their own within the musical landscape. Clagarnaċ sound more or less as if someone had handed Primordial an accordion and a bouzouki, and then sent them off on a long club tour, performing night after night in dim, smoky taverns in front of half-drunk dockworkers. Their Irish identity is unmistakable, not only because they sing in Gaeilge, but also in the way they shift seamlessly from melancholy, yearning, and weighty themes to pathos and zest for life. This contrast, so typical of Irish music, pervades the five tracks on Foscadh. What sets Clagarnaċ apart is their ability to weave this strand of Celtic heritage and traditional elements into extreme metal without tipping over into gimmickry or party-band clichés.

Crusader (UK) - In For The Kill

Issue #6 Winner

In For The Kill is the debut EP from hard rock newcomers Crusader (UK), a quartet from the UK that captures the sound of ‘80s hard rock in such great detail that it surprises by coming out in 2025. The spirit of Def Leppard, Scorpions, and Whitesnake is very much present here, and the singer resembles David Coverdale in his prime. The band’s influences are the opposite of understated; even the cover art is very similar to the one of Wild Cat. If you miss songs that are made to sing along to, with catchy riffs, memorable choruses, and a clean sound, this should hit the spot for you. In For The Kill sounds confident and made by talented musicians, and, if Crusader (UK) can find a way to have a more personal and unique sound, they will have a bright future.

Darktide - Mourn

Issue #10 Winner

From the darkest corner of Auckland emerges Darktide with their sophomore EP, Mourn. This five-piece is labelled as deathcore but doesn’t really play by standard deathcore rules. As their Bandcamp blurb puts it, they "channel grief and fury into an unrelenting storm of sound", and yeah, they’re not joking. A sense of menace hangs heavy throughout, brooding like a dark, ominous thundercloud. Dripping in blackened elements, the music crawls forward at a mid-tempo pace, deliberately building up tension rather than speed. Heavy, atmospheric soundscapes and catchy hooks are scattered all across these three tasty tracks, with pummeling heaviness and bruising grooves pounding down like hailstones. The whole thing feels unsettling yet weirdly mesmerizing – kind of like peeking through the bushes at a blood ritual led by hooded silhouettes in the eerie ruins of an abandoned cathedral (or, you know, whatever else black metal pandas fans get up to for entertainment on a regular Saturday night).

Even If We Lose - Even If We Lose

Issue #11 Winner (staff tie break)

Even If We Lose's self-titled EP, at 31 minutes in length, is crammed with enough content that it could have been released as a debut full-length album, and the quality of the music found within would be fitting of a full release. The Dutch post-metal band have written four songs here that largely conform to the genre expectations of post-metal, but they impart enough of their own personality into these tracks to go beyond the sameness of many new entrants into the genre. Imposing tom drums and dense distortion get the EP off to a compelling start, and a potent emotionality to the instrumentation quickly wins over listeners. There are strong riffs, achingly tender quiet passages, intense moments of relative extremity, and very mature arrangement of instruments and layers. “Marching Blue Giants” is an aptly titled monolith of a song that exhibits the band’s remarkable full range, while the business and interweaving nature of “In Depths We’ve Laid Our Trust Upon” is gripping and suffocating.

Leegte - Finis

Issue #2 Winner

While many new black metal bands get branded with the 'sounds like Mgła' description, Belgian Leegte is a rare newcomer that actually reaches some of the highs set by the Polish giants. This is black metal for those who love hypnotic riffs to be repeated until the end of times, for those who crave dark atmospheres, both solemn and adrenaline-filled, and for those who value the fearsome power one fantastic drummer can hold. Because goddamn is the drumming good on Finis. The first song is the kind of track that will immediately leave you thinking “I’d love to experience this live”, particularly when the build-up starting from the 2:45 mark rages on like a storm levelling a city. When Leegte slows down, ambient interludes creep in, as well as Cascadian black metal riffs à la Wolves In The Throne Room, further enriching this EP. Leegte released one demo and EP in 2019; both were very raw but also very promising. These past 6 years have shown remarkable growth, and you will do well in keeping an eye on this project.

Memento Mori (CHI) - Umbratil

Issue #9 Winner

Funeral doom has a reputation for being one of the more uneventful subgenres in metal, having evolved only marginally since the 1990s. Still, every now and then a band comes along that manages to elegantly steer clear of the depths of stagnation and monotony, and Memento Mori (CHI) are a fine example of that. Umbratil is the debut work of the five Chileans and, at 25 minutes in length, offers a glimpse of an upcoming but as yet untitled full-length album. What stands out in a good way is the frequent yet seamless transition between the two closely related genres and the resulting tempo shifts; from BPMs in the low double digits all the way up to mid-tempo death metal, the band covers nearly the full spectrum of doom. The highly varied guitar work provides further dynamics; even atypical touches of tremolo picking and the occasional solo blend smoothly into the two compositions. The fact that the vocals are equally inventive is the icing on the cake of this EP; when the growls at the end of “In Nomine Mortis” dissolve into a guttural whisper, only to be overlaid by a haunting choir of clean vocals, goosebumps are almost guaranteed.

Myncæfr - Ignorance Veil

Issue #1 Winner

The crop of the painting Hypnosis by Sascha Schneider, also referenced in the film The Lighthouse by Robert Eggers, is a cover art that surely draws one in, but the music on this debut EP is what makes everyone stay. With no information on the line-up, Myncæfr dropped Ignorance Veil out of the blue black, and the production, the songwriting, and the arrangement of the music is at a standard that would be expected from a seasoned band. This Mgła-meets-Suffering Hour-meets-Selbst kind of black metal hits very hard, both spiritually and emotionally, with tormented vocals, a twisted guitar tone, sick riffs and leads, all shrouded in bleak atmosphere. “Veil Of Lies”, with its acoustic intro reminding of Placebo’s “Twenty Years” played at half the speed, is one of the most gripping songs you will listen to this year.

Nebiru - Kontrast

Issue #5 Winner

“Nebiru” is, on the one hand, the name of a Sumerian and Babylonian deity, but on the other hand also a term from ancient Mesopotamia that meant “point of transition” in the Akkadian language, particularly in an astronomical context. You don’t have to look far to find transitions in a musical sense with Nebiru, as the four musicians from Delitzsch near Leipzig are seasoned boundary-crossers between the realms of black metal and crust punk. From black metal, the quartet has taken on the dark aura and foreboding atmosphere; from bands like Discharge, Fall Of Efrafa, and GBH, they’ve adopted the raw heaviness and the direct, in-your-face attitude. As a result, the four tracks on their debut EP could roughly be described as a blend of Downfall Of Gaia and Anti Cimex. But that’s only half the truth: thanks to the German lyrics, Kontrast also occasionally brings to mind highlights from the discography of Fäulnis, which is always a good omen.

Odion - Narcissus

Issue #3 Winner

There are always countless ways to tell a story. One could, for example, describe Odion as a very young band, founded by members of a Paradise Lost cover band and a Type O Negative tribute band, which played its very first concert only this year in March 2025. But you could just as well say that Odion consists of particularly seasoned musicians who have been active in the Hungarian metal scene for over 30 years, and who have played (or still play) in bands like Thy Catafalque, Reason, Agregator, Mind's Mirrors, and Rivers Ablaze, to name but a few. Both versions of the story create different expectations and kinds of surprise: on the one hand, you wouldn’t expect such a professional, crystal-clear production or such a strong personal touch in the songwriting from a cover band; on the other hand, you wouldn’t necessarily expect veteran musicians to bring such a fresh breeze into a relatively dusty genre. But even if you approach the band's first EP, Narcissus, without any expectations at all, you'll be pleasantly surprised, because a blend of the aforementioned influences that is this instantly catchy, spiced up with a touch of gothic death/doom à la early My Dying Bride, varied drumming, gloomy yet rocking guitar riffs, and a beautifully fitting cello is truly something you don’t come across every day.

Thrøsk - Signal Failure

Issue #12 Winner

This instrumental post-metal EP by Thrøsk, Signal Failure, is the perfect soundtrack for a long, contemplative walk, wandering into nature, ending up at a misty lake, and staring dramatically at the winter-grey skies as if cast in season three of a Scandinavian crime series. Signal Failure runs on slow-burning tension: brooding build-ups, gradually unfolding riffs, and mood-heavy soundscapes that sneak in like the winter cold does through one's jacket. The hooks are subtle but ridiculously addictive once they’ve gotten their claws in. With each repeat listen, layer upon atmospheric layer reveals itself, giving the music room to breathe, knowing precisely when to hold back, until the moment is right and it all inevitably explodes. This is instrumental post-metal done exactly right: patient, deliberate, rolling in wave after wave, inching closer each time, wave after wave, until it finally sweeps you off your feet and drags you offshore into the distance, swallowed by fog. Another unsolved Thrøsk case file.

Vuln - Demo III

Issue #7 Winner

‘Uplifting’ isn’t exactly a term one would typically associate with black metal, but there are still many bands from this dark, nihilistic fringe of underground music whose works never fail to elicit a big smile. Vuln are one such band; not much is known about this project from the US, but they’ve been releasing music since 2021 that can momentarily allow one to forget about the silly 'trve cvlt' posturing and ridiculous image of many black metal bands. Vuln’s third demo is a clear step up, both compositionally and sonically, from the 2021 and 2024 releases. It features two mid-tempo tracks that, thanks to the crystal-clear production and catchy riffs, go straight to the ear instead of annoying the listener with primitive blast beats, endless layers of synths, or a deliberately lo-fi sound. To sum it up: Demo III is epic, melodic, yet still undiluted atmospheric black metal that’s simply a lot of fun.

Zabrahana - Whales Dream In Purple

Issue #4 Winner (staff tie break)

Zabrahana is a new progressive metal band from Thessaloniki, Greece, that remains cryptic about their name, urging us to “embrace the enigma”, at least for the time being. Musically, they embrace the ‘softer’ prog sound of bands like Pain Of Salvation, Steven Wilson, and Riverside, but there is also the influence of Tool and Opeth to be traced in their music. The production helps to distinguish the different instruments, and to highlight both the technical and the melodic aspect of the music. Fronted by a very talented lady, who sounds like the perfect mix of Anneke Van Giersbergen and Amy Lee, and with very competent musicians that perform in excellence on all four songs of this EP, Whales Dream In Purple is a release of adventurous songwriting and emotional depth that should appeal to every prog fan, but also to the post-metal audience.