After a quarter of a century of slowly making their droning sound more and more maximalistic and eclectic, Sunn O))) returned to their original raw duo form for a tour. Two dates were attended. Two writers bathed in sound.

We here at Metal Storm pride ourselves in the metal that we live and breathe, and most importantly, write about. But there's a whole world out there aside from Satan-worshiping black metal and dragon-slaying power metal. Here's what we checked out this month.

Clandestine Cuts are the best demos and EPs from the metal underground. This issue features music from Grimsever, Aefen Styrra, Midnight Mass, Vaegon, Ordo Anguis, and Discarnation.

Musclassia returns to his favourite festival.

Every once in a while, I attend a couple of shows that do not appear on my "yearly heavy metal concert" schedule. This time I decided to see two eccentric bands known worldwide: on one side, the embodiment of the Californian artistic free spirit, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and on the other, the Italian rock phenomenon Måneskin.