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Clandestine Cuts Vol. 3 #2 - Our Favorite New Demos And EPs


Written by: Susan, Abattoir, R'Vannith, BloodTears, wormdrink414
Published: February 27, 2013
 


Clandestine Cuts Volume 3, Issue #2
The Metal Storm Demo/EP Spotlight

Independent metal lives here.
Welcome to the February issue of Clandestine Cuts 2013!


Is independent, unsigned, and underground metal what you seek? Weary traveler of the metal world, rest a while here. 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 chose your favorite 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 favorite independent metal is recognized each year!

(Think your band has what it takes to be featured in the Cuts? Contact Susan or email Susan @ MetalStorm . net to submit your music.)

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

Clandestine Cuts Vol. 2 #6
Clandestine Cuts Vol. 2 #7
Clandestine Cuts Vol. 2 #8
Clandestine Cuts Vol. 3 #1

And now to the music...




At Night I Fly - September Kills
Listen at the band's website

You know when you hit play on some really energetic prog and it just grabs you in the first measure? Yeah, that totally happened. At Night I Fly plays some majestic prog that feeds contemporary guitar-driven metal into a spirit of classic prog rock. It's really all here, from the first moment. As it should be: At Night I Fly is a new band featuring some experienced musicians, including Zoltan Bàtky, soaring voice behind After Crying. Everyone brings their unique talent and experience to the new band and the result is something special. Prog lovers take note: this is one hell of an EP.

by Susan





Manu Armata - From The Heart In Your Face EP
Listen at Bandcamp

NYHC from The Netherlands? Well, it definitely sounds like it. As the title and cover artwork already indicate, this is a straight punch in your face, without a moment of hesitation. Alternating slow-fast agressive riffs, classic groovy breakdowns with melodic hardcore approach that, above all, Manu Armata represents prudently. Also worth mentioning is the powerful and nothing less than superior execution of the vocals. Hardcore sympathizers definitely won't be deprived from anything with this outcome and believe me, you can get a lot going on from the EP that lasts less the 10 minutes.

by Abattoir





Pin-Up Went Down - B-Sides
Listen at Bandcamp

With two full lengths to their name Pin-Up Went Down's latest EP is further evidence of their indifference to your sanity and most likely their own. Some weird and eccentric avantgarde music domineered by a widely varied feminine voice with diverse instrumentation ranging from touches of jazz to surf rock to match. All the madness is structured with an understanding for hooks and is designed to engage the listener from begining to end. This is avantgarde metal that doesn't initially alienate the listener but demands your attention by throwing not only craziness into the songwriting but catchiness as well.

by R'Vannith





The Noumenon - Apocrypha
Listen at Bandcamp

When you combine some types of more extreme metal like death metal and something more progressive and melodic like this band does, it is important to have a good dynamic. The Noumenon pass that test with distinction. Their EP Apocrypha gives us technical and sophisticated metal with deep moments of clarity. The band shows that they have enough sensibility to write melodies which leave a deep-rooted mark, and are also capable of constantly adding new dimensions to their music, variety and a finesse which entangles you. This is hard-hitting metal with feeling done the right way.

by BloodTears





Hell's Island - Black Painted Circle
Listen at Bandcamp

I love how grunge has been creeping into metal lately. It's been roughy 20 years since the style exploded in Seattle and a 20-year cycle seems about right for exploration by a new generation. Hell's Island certainly extracted the choice bits: bare power, gritty melodies, and mesmerizing rhythms. They served this on a platter of alternative metal with some raw psychedelic moments. Not typical Italian metal? Tough. This 3rd EP shows a band clear of the direction in which they're headed. Check it out.

by Susan





Black Table - Sentinel
Listen at Bandcamp

Tables are the new bullet belts. With this group here and the whole controversy about James Hetfield coming out of the pantry as one in 2011, they're, as a table community, becoming more and more metal as fuck. But this Black Table here is way more awesome than Lulu. Which isn't saying much I suppose, it's like saying tables are more tabley than brusselsprouts, but this EP is more awesome than most BM albums in general. The impact of its floating post metal tunes getting burst by its lunging black metal daggers and its dissonant, chaotic prog riffing has a magical, dynamic effect. Despite the slightly emphysemic vocals, as a whole, it really is a striking, melancholy and, above all, engaging thing. Every fan of thoughtfully composed metal should check it out. It's epic stuff.

by wormdrink414







Poll

Best new music of the month:

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Comments

Comments: 16   Visited by: 87 users
28.02.2013 - 17:20
Susan
Smeghead
Elite
Quite an unusual genre mix this month! What are you guys liking so far?
----
"A life all mine
Is what I choose
At the end of my days"
--The Gathering "A Life All Mine" from Souvenirs
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28.02.2013 - 18:23
Cynic Metalhead
Ambrish Saxena
I have heard of "Hell's Island" and they are great. Rest, i need to check it out.

As Susan noted, this time it's quite an unusual mixes.
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28.02.2013 - 18:25
R'Vannith
ghedengi
Elite
Gotta say, The Noumenon have the best album cover there. Haven't listened to it yet though.
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28.02.2013 - 21:12
Milena
gloom cookie
Staff
I can't make up my mind between At Night I Fly and The Noumenon, but everything sounds just snazzy. Gosh I love this column.
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7.0 means the album is good
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28.02.2013 - 21:44
BloodTears
ANA-thema
Elite
Written by R'Vannith on 28.02.2013 at 18:25

Gotta say, The Noumenon have the best album cover there. Haven't listened to it yet though.

Yes, I love the album cover too. I think you might like it given your prog sensibilities. I'm still listening to the other EPs on this issue for now.
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Written by BloodTears on 19.08.2011 at 18:29

Like you could kiss my ass.

My Instagram
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01.03.2013 - 04:01
R'Vannith
ghedengi
Elite
Written by BloodTears on 28.02.2013 at 21:44

Written by R'Vannith on 28.02.2013 at 18:25

Gotta say, The Noumenon have the best album cover there. Haven't listened to it yet though.

Yes, I love the album cover too. I think you might like it given your prog sensibilities. I'm still listening to the other EPs on this issue for now.

Prog that's hard hitting with feeling, that does sound like something for me. Their name's also very philosophical it turns out, wiki tells me it's some ancient idea of knowledge existing external to the senses.
Interesting name, interesting album cover, they've certainly got it going.
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01.03.2013 - 04:46
Edmund Fogg
Already dig Black Table. Will give a fair spin the the other nominees thought. Euhm the Hell's Island Bc link don't work.
----
You cannot sedate all the things you hate - MM
The Observer is the source of reality - Bloom
God damn it!! What did Diddy didn't do? - Satan
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01.03.2013 - 05:07
Susan
Smeghead
Elite
Written by Edmund Fogg on 01.03.2013 at 04:46

Euhm the Hell's Island Bc link don't work.

Thank you!! Fixed now
----
"A life all mine
Is what I choose
At the end of my days"
--The Gathering "A Life All Mine" from Souvenirs
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01.03.2013 - 12:33
Nefarious
Doom Knight
Staff
Wow, I must say i'm really enjoying The Noumenon
----
"FUCK!!! You're the fucking 5th person asking me in an interview about the woman in the bathtub?The problem is that I AM the fucking person in the bathtub, and I AM a fucking MAN, for fuck's sake! I hate you all!" ~ Herr Morbid
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03.03.2013 - 18:11
Druss
My vote definately goes to Pin-Up Went Down's B-Sides, loved it to bits, quirky, beautiful and sometimes weird stuff.

Really good Clandestine Cuts, people, well done. Only one I didn't enjoy too much was Black Table, but that's likely the fact black metal and me don't always agree lol
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04.03.2013 - 00:58
Bad English
Tage Westerlund
Shame of the shame , maybe last band was PK, but not non is actualy worth to vote for, NON bands . its 1th time in this cuts history that I dont vote .... realy I dislike all

@abbatoir - what means NYHC
New Yourk hard Core?
----
I stand whit Ukraine and Israel. They have right to defend own citizens.

Stormtroopers of Death - "Speak English or Die"

I better die, because I never will learn speek english, so I choose dieing
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04.03.2013 - 01:16
X-Ray Rod
Skandino
Staff
K7's post writting skills are definitely not "PK".
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Written by BloodTears on 19.08.2011 at 18:29
Like you could kiss my ass

Written by Milena on 20.06.2012 at 10:49
Rod, let me love you.

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04.03.2013 - 12:51
BloodTears
ANA-thema
Elite
I have to say that Pin-Up Went Down is some adorable crazy shit.
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Written by BloodTears on 19.08.2011 at 18:29

Like you could kiss my ass.

My Instagram
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07.03.2013 - 13:27
Abattoir
Staff
Written by Bad English on 04.03.2013 at 00:58

@abbatoir - what means NYHC
New Yourk hard Core?

Of course.
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23.03.2013 - 18:03
NocturnalStalker
Metal Addict
Pretty diverse selection this time. Still none of the bands managed to captivate me beside Pin-Up Went Down, the band that I'm already familiar with from years ago. That's why my vote goes to them.
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"And we are not who we think we are
We are who we're afraid to be"
- Lux Occulta "The Opening of Eleventh Sephirah"
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01.04.2013 - 19:07
X-Ray Rod
Skandino
Staff
Really enjoyed a couple of names here. Specially Black Table, The Noumenon and Pin-Up Went Down. I went for the last one but the other two were very close.
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Written by BloodTears on 19.08.2011 at 18:29
Like you could kiss my ass

Written by Milena on 20.06.2012 at 10:49
Rod, let me love you.

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