Written by:	RaduP, musclassia, nikarg, Starvynth
Published:	October 06, 2020

Clandestine Cuts Volume 10, Issue #9
The Metal Storm Demo/EP Spotlight



Is independent, unsigned, and underground metal what you seek? Weary traveller of the metal world, rest here a while. Clandestine Cuts are the best demos and EPs from these bands, the heart and soul of metal music. These musicians are slaves to their passions, and their blood keeps the metal machine alive and turning. Support them with a simple listen, and discover the future.

Metal Storm users: you can vote in the poll below to choose your favourite demo/EP of the issue. The winners each year are nominated in our annual Metal Storm Awards so exercise your rights: this is the one category chosen completely by YOU the readers. Make sure your favourite independent metal is recognized each year!

(Think your band has what it takes to be featured in the Cuts? Email demos@metalstorm.net to submit your music.)

In case you're new at this, go back and enjoy our last few issues:

Clandestine Cuts Vol. 10 #8
Clandestine Cuts Vol. 10 #7
Clandestine Cuts Vol. 10 #6

And now to the new music...

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This one just has it all. Bear with me here, I'll tell you what I mean. It's a black metal album done by a duo who are clearly part of other death metal bands, so it's kinda both death metal and black metal. It's also incredibly groovy with it's speed metal influence, so that also means riffs galore to appease the classic metalhead. It's definitely occult and raw and all that to appease the orthodox black metal fan. For some reason the production and the grooves together make it sound so psychedelic, in tandem with all the ambient/electronica sprinkles it has, to appease the unorthodox black metal fan. And I've seen plenty of album covers with breasts, but rarely one with a pussy as a centerpiece, so horny metal fans are also appeased. It's just under 30 minutes in runtime to feel like a full package so you know you're getting your fair share of what you're looking for.

by RaduP

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Not to be confused with Icelandic post-rock band Katla., these Danes have no time for ethereal atmospheres on this thick, bludgeoning EP. With 3 songs running for 10 minutes total, Warmongering Luciferians (Chapter1) comes and goes in a blink of an eye, but that blink is filled with dirty, thick guitars boosted by a fierce production, and the nasty riffs they throw out, whether the slow trudge of the title track or the more mid-tempo grooves of "The Great Wandering". The riffs are capped by some vicious vocal rasps and energetic drumming, all coming together to make some menacing, grim sludge. Each of the three song has one main riff that they ride throughout most of the duration, but minor variations and little segues help to keep the riffs sounding fresh and the listener wanting more. Hopefully in future there will be further chapters in this series, but for now, Katla have dropped a short but very sweet slab of chunky, groovy stoner/sludge to rival many of their more established contemporaries.

by musclassia

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Senkhara come from the gorgeous city of Riga, the capital of Latvia. They are a female-fronted doom metal band with a very distinctive sound that stems from their love for the dark and the grotesque. The songs are based on classic doom riffs but it is the voice of front-woman Moriah Senkhara that really gives this band the extra boost they need to not go unnoticed among the numerous acts of the same style. When I listen to her I get strong Diamanda Galas vibes, and you can imagine how this characteristic helps to make the music sound more passionate, obscure, and theatrical. I also like how they have short explanations for their tracks at their Bandcamp page; for example, "Goblet Of Grief" is about when you're crying and your tears fall into your glass of wine, and you drink them altogether. Then they also have interesting lyrics about death, suffering, witches, metal, and religion. So do not hesitate, follow them to the lair of doom and sing along with Moriah as loud as you can: "My soul is made of metal / My heart is made of steel / High voltage fills my body / Metal is made of me".

by nikarg

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Tagged as "a short story about small towns." with everything including the songs and album title in all-lowercase, small towns is the second EP from Crisis Sigil, which is the grind project of Ada Rook from hyperpop / industrial duo Black Dresses. You probably have no idea who they are or who Ada is, so that's alright. Both in her work in the duo, or as a solo artist, she merged a sense of internet nostalgia, hyperfuturism, a whole load of trauma, and generally a sense that this is music that could only be made by traumatized women over the internet in 2020. But I was less into the hyperpop and more into the industrial / hardcore moments. So obviously getting a project that is digital grindcore tinged with industrial hyperpop instead of the other way around is a real treat. Ada is a pretty vicious vocalist, and even if the music is mostly grindcore, it still has a lot of melodic alternative leanings, with electronica and clean vocals, bass-heavy riffs, noisy production, mechanical drumming, and its own load of everything that was already Ada Rooks trademark. You'll have a hard time finding a more emotional grind/HxC/screamo album this year, even at small towns' 13 minutes.

by RaduP

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Heni, a word derived from the Yanomami Amazonian tribe, refers to plants with healing powers, according to the Bandcamp page for Heni, the first full EP by the Brazilian group Mábura. The tribal connection is apparent very early on with "Anhangá", a droning, darkly atmospheric introduction to the record, featuring sustained guitar drones and feedback combined with patches of percussion and spiritual singing. This track sets a seriously powerful atmosphere for the rest of Heni; if I'm being honest, I would've liked the next two tracks to knuckle down on this vibe a bit more. "III/IV" is a solid stoner doom track with slick bass-y riffs and psychedelic guitar leads, but doesn't quite possess the captivating vibe that "Anhangá" promised. The delightfully titled "Bong Of God" again offers more thick, groovy stoner metal, but takes a turn back towards the sound of the start of the album midway through with a break during which thick, tom-heavy percussion dominates over sustained chords and eerie guitar leads. This dense, atmospheric midsection is really nailed, and makes the return to faster, more traditional stoner rock territory at the finale all the more satisfying. Mábura are a young band still finding their feet; Heni features some top-quality music, but if the group can find a way to further integrate the drone, tribal and psychedelic elements in "Anhangá" and that mid-section of "Bong Of God" into their sound, they could produce something genuinely special, and I'm really excited to hear what they release in the future.

by musclassia

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Thulcandra, Black Horizons, Bane, The Spirit... The list of claimants to the vacant throne of melodic black/death metal is long, but so far no ambitious usurper has succeeded to step into the big footprints of Dissection and to fill the large gap that Jon Nödtveidt's demise has left in 2006. Finsternis (German for "darkness" or "gloom") from Mobile, Alabama may not deliver a second Storm Of The Light's Bane in the near future either, but the American quartet is a crucial step ahead of most of their competitors as they do not try to pay homage through simple imitation. Instead, they're adding a good dose of black and roll to the mix and maybe that's the main reason why the output does not sound like a mere copy of the same things you've already heard a thousand times. Another plus point is the excellent production on The Olde Tongue, providing a thick, heavy and clear sound at the same time, yet far from sounding sterile. Do your spoiled and discerning ears a favour and also listen to one of their 2019 singles - it will make you well wonder why they didn't include either of the two tracks on their first EP.

by Starvynth

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