Clandestine Cuts Vol. 2 #4 - Hear Music From The Portrait, AK-11, Burn Everything, Mind:Soul, Lion Splicer, and more!
Written by: | Susan, X-Ray Rod, Troy Killjoy, BloodTears, wormdrink414 |
Published: | May 31, 2012 |
Clandestine Cuts Volume 2, Issue #4
The Metal Storm Demo/EP Spotlight
After a brief hiatus the Clandestine Cuts kids are back with new music for you hungry masses. So, bask in the glory of free tunes and support these bands that are keeping metal alive. Support them by liking them on facebook, buying a t-shirt, going to their shows and screaming like the lunatics you are. Hell, maybe even bring a beach ball.
January 31, 2013: VOTING IS NOW CLOSED! Thank you for your votes; find the winners in the Metal Storm Awards 2012 category Clandestine Cut Of The Year and chose your favorite.
Think your band has what it takes to be featured in the Cuts? Contact Susan via PM or email Susan @ MetalStorm . net to find out.
In case you're new at this, go back and enjoy our last few issues:
Clandestine Cuts Vol. 1 #15
Clandestine Cuts Vol. 2 #1
Clandestine Cuts Vol. 2 #2
Clandestine Cuts Vol. 2 #3
CAPA - Shallow Towers Bandcamp This is a one man band? Woah? Brandon Scott Baun is one talented dude, that's for sure. I know you guys have heard a lot of black/post/shoegaze/ambient albums these last couple of years but please don't leave so soon! With this 24 min EP comes great and varied songwriting and if you aren't too keen on the sweet "lala fantasy world lala" atmosphere then I'm happy to tell you that you don't really get that here. Here the vocals are quite aggressive, going from classic black metal shrieks to very pissed off and desperate shouts. The music itself goes through many mood changes and crescendos, what you could expect from a band with a post-tag attached to it. CAPA's strength is the consistency, great performance in (all!) the instruments and overall professional sound of both tracks. by Mr. Doctor |
Spelljammer - Vol. II Bandcamp For a visual image of Spelljammer's music, think about a coming wave, which will occasionally hit the rocks producing a big splashing effect. Even so, in between the huge swell, you will also find calmer ocean states. This stoner/doom band is the perfect mixture of opposite states: quiet chaos and noisy peacefulness. There are also psychedelic elements, especially in the solos and voice and a very blatant rock and roll flavour. The three songs in this EP are all long but far from dull because the band finds just the right balance between slow, heavy and refined without being overwhelming. There is this constant droning sound which continuously builds up the atmosphere in these songs, also adding a disconcerting feel to them. These Swedes know where they are going and what buttons to push. by BloodTears |
AK-11 - Legendary, Demonic & Invincible Free download I guess AK-11 were busy wondering if they could pull off the war metal sound perfected by fellow Australians Deströyer 666, because they definitely managed to pull off a demo that would easily pass for something like Violence Is The Prince Of This World. Over 30 minutes in length, this demo is filled with sharp riffs and catchy melodies, but never sacrifices extremity for accessibility. Biting shrieks into the mic and excellent musicianship make for quite an entertaining listen while your ears are given the pleasure of picking out interesting time changes and groove-laden breaks from the full-frontal assault. Intricate drum patterns give this demo an added punch so you aren't bothered by a somewhat thin production. by Troy Killjoy |
Burn Everthing - Hollow Victory Bandcamp Rarely are the descriptions in a band's website so spot on: metal, post-hardcore, progressive, stuff like The Dillinger Escape Plan? Whatever. It really doesn't matter, you know why? Because Burn Everything are good and that's the only label you need. Now that I got the label shit down, let's explain why they are good even for someone like me who usually isn't too keen on this music. Great performance, no-bullshit song writing and in-your-face approach to their music is what makes them good. The songs are short and not a single second is wasted. I can't find any errors to be honest. This sounds really professional: The vocals are aggressive, awesome drums, catchy riffs and a good bass to give it that low tone, not to mention the production, which all comes from a band that seems to be ready to make it big. by Mr. Doctor |
Lion Splicer - Valkyrie http://lionsplicer.bandcamp.com/album/valkyrie You like music that's catchy and fun? How homosexual of you. But if that is your thing, I can't think of any reason why you should't check this EP out asap. This is honestly some of the best punk mixed with a classic hard rock sound I've heard in a long time. Every track is slightly different stylistically--maybe above all else, the word to describe this is "varied"--and every track sounds really good. If this were a few times longer and maintained the kind of consistency this has, I wouldn't hesitate to throw around the green numbers in a full-length review. by wormdrink414 |
Mind:Soul - Patterns Soundcloud Remember that "old" Dream Theater sound of the Kevin Moore era? The atmospheres in Patterns evoke that period, where prog had that very distinctive and prominent keyboard sound. Mind:Soul give us the typical progressive metal innuendos and add symphonic elements with sporadic dialogues between growls and melodic voices which flow very nicely. The breaks from the heavier rhythmic sections are powerful and where their mind and soul really comes across. While Mind:Soul throw in a good chunk of challenging riffs, it is ultimately their melodies which are more memorable in Patterns. by BloodTears |
The Portrait - Infinity EP http://theportraitnm.bandcamp.com/ My dream is to somehow, someday, fly through space, dive into a black hole, and see what's there. I realize this will be a one-way trip but can you think of a more spectacular way to die? The Portrait plays a kind of thick metal that reminded me of this wish. They call their music a blend of ambient/metal/hardcore and I both agree and disagree. I also hear a juxtaposition of sounds between a slightly posty/ sludgey vibe that will wash over you like a warm Venusian storm before suffocating you, vs. dirty, punishing vocals that are mixed so well that you don't feel the assault until it's too late. They also refer to themselves as "spacecore" since apparently they share my love of all things outer space. Basically, this EP will crush you down to a singularity. Enjoy, by Susan |
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