Written by:	Nefarious, BloodTears, Abattoir
Published:	July 04, 2016

Clandestine Cuts Volume 6, Issue #2
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. 6 #1
Clandestine Cuts Vol. 5 #4
Clandestine Cuts Vol. 5 #3




And now to the new music...

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Cairiss - Fall Listen at Bandcamp Cairiss just released their debut EP, Fall, and it's a thing of beauty. The five-piece from Southampton, U.K. rely heavily on building a particular kind of ethereal atmosphere. The obvious stand-out aspect of their music is Freyja Brown's otherworldly voice, perfect for the spectacularly crafted clean sounds that emanate from the band. She also offers harsher vocals when the intensity of the music reaches its peak and Cairiss venture into black metal and shoegaze territory. The orchestral arrangements give these three songs a full sound, overflowing with tasteful melodies. You just need to open this treasure chest and discover this diamond in the rough. by BloodTears

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Cambrian Explosion - The Moon Listen at Bandcamp Cambrian Explosion play a groovy, multi-layered mix of stoner and psychedelic rock with oriental influences that's full to the brim with fuzzy, catchy riffs. Now while there is certainly a large number of bands with a similar sound, what makes Cambrian Explosion stand out from the crowd is their impeccable musicianship & brilliant sense of rhythm. Clocking in at just over 35 minutes, this ambitious EP could almost be considered a full length yet it leaves you wanting more. So sit back, relax and let Cambrian Explosion fly you to the moon. by Nefarious

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Dan Pierson - Mesolus Listen at Bandcamp Dan Pierson's Mesolus is highly promising. Granted, it has plenty of Devin Townsend worship, especially in the use of guitar sounds and exploration. However, this is quite sentimental and ingenious progressive metal minus the wacky part. The ambient and synth parts are beautifully constructed and interweaved with vibrant melodies throughout. Think about the mood of "Deep Peace" as a starting point to a different kind of journey. These types of stellar debut releases are hard to come by. Words alone don't do it justice. by BloodTears

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Ocean of Grief - Fortress of My Dark Self Listen at Bandcamp Simply put, Fortress of My Dark Self is 27 minutes of top-notch melodic death/doom. While not really testing the conventional boundaries of the genre, Ocean of Grief's debut EP remains an interesting & enjoyable listen as the lack of originality is made up for by the bands sheer talent, musicianship & songwriting ability. Fortress of My Dark Self is a solid first effort for this young band hailing from Athens, Greece & provides a solid baseline for them to hopefully grow & carve out their own niche in the saturated death/doom genre in the future. by Nefarious

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Nights Of Malice - Our Penance Listen at Bandcamp I have never really been a deathcore enthusiast, but in this case I can say that some fine, groundbreaking tunes are coming out of Nights Of Malice's EP, entitled Our Penance. Lots of variety in the change of pace, some fast, shredding passages with fair amount of pounding down-tempo strikes. Since this is the band's already third EP, it can be felt that sound production reached a very high level, which is also one of the main factors that overwhelmed me on this release. While deathcore in general ain't that original per se, you have to be (more or less) into this genre if you want to create a positive ambience with Our Penance. by Abattoir

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Cloak - Cloak Listen at Bandcamp Cloak play a cross between black metal, death metal & straight up rock & roll that is dark & brooding yet full of energy & groove. Fans of Tribulation will find a lot to like here as the comparisons between the two are undeniable. Containing only 2 tracks with a total running time of under 13 minutes, this self-titled EP is incredibly short but shows a huge amount of promise & is a hell of a lot of fun to listen to. Hopefully it won't be too long until we hear a full length LP from these guys as 13 minutes is just not enough! by Nefarious

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