Written by:	nikarg, musclassia, RaduP, X-Ray Rod, AndyMetalFreak
Published:	April 09, 2023

Clandestine Cuts Volume 13, Issue #3
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 to this, go back and enjoy our last few issues:

Clandestine Cuts Vol. 13 #2
Clandestine Cuts Vol. 13 #1
Clandestine Cuts Vol. 12 #12

And now to the new music...

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The new Montreal-based stoner/thrash act Iron Asparagus announce their arrival with their new five-track EP, To Whom It May Concern... Fuck You!: an aggressive album title that's fitting for their aggressive style. Defining this style under a certain genre may not be all that simple, with it being a mix of stoner, thrash, and heavy metal, but musically the structure is relatively simple, and it's effective and easy on the ears. An immediate unprecedented beefy guitar tone is present from the first track and throughout, during which you are greeted by some traditionally melodic riffing, where the speed varies from an upbeat thrash tempo to a slower mid-tempo sludge pace, along with cool rhythmic drumming beats and powerful bass lines. Yes, it's for the most part pretty heavy, but there are some impressive softer sections with lighter guitar work also, and along with that, you have a few pretty cool solos also thrown in. The vocals have a slight uniqueness where there's a slight distorting grunge effect, and at times the vocalist sounds like a stoned version of James Hetfied, which is pretty cool.

by AndyMetalFreak

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Age Of Dark And Fire is an epic death doom metal release made by just one person, named J. Young. Those who are familiar with the game Elden Ring will get something extra out of this project, but don’t worry if you’ve never heard of said game. What you need to know is that, just like Stonesword Keys are some of the rarest items in Elden Ring, Stonesword Key’s debut EP is one of the rarest modern death doom releases that are actually worth checking out. In a style of metal that is full of mediocre and uninspired rehashes, Age Of Dark And Fire stands out with the anvil-heavy riffs, the memorable melodies weaved into the songs, the nasty guitar tone, and the medieval atmosphere.

by nikarg

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This bag of disgusting filth was bound to sit well with me. From the static lo-fi production, the feedback and the thundering bass, and the social detachment pouring out of this poor man’s voice. The tired, slow and low voice of a defeated man which then erupts into erratic screams and howls. VVAIL reminds me of one of my favorite albums from last year: Chat Pile’s God’s Country. Can’t help but smiling at the coincidence of VVAIL’s singer singing “I have to ge the fuck out of here” in the first track “I’m Losing It”. These words were the same desperate sentiments I wrote in my Chat Pile review. But, VVAIL spices things up with more atypical genres. There is sludge metal, noise-rock, crust and post-punk tones present but the main component here is the desperate black metal that glues everything together. There are some disorienting leads which evoke surreal, psychedelic vibes not unlike the ones heard in projects like Arizmenda. There is no comfort to be found in them though, as they only enhance the unnerving havoc that follows.The tremolo riffs and the blast beats are on the brink of self-immolation as the singer maniacally laughs and moans. It is a daring experiment for sure. You might be unsure if it does work together at first. But if you are into sick music, then this EP will surprise you with its organic mix of genres. With less than 10 minutes, VVAIL will surely leave you curious for more!

by X-Ray Rod

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There are 91 bands from Bangladesh registered in Metal Archives, including at least 13 that have officially split up, so it’s easy to feel privileged when checking out extreme metal from places with such a small scene. Even though Beheth are not coming up with anything unheard of, it is great to hear how the cry of metal is universal. Beheth pay homage to the old art of melodic black metal, where we can count giants like Dissection and Unanimated among their main influences. Just like these Swedish groups, Beheth put a lot of focus on the riffs and melody, while also introducing the precise amount of death metal for an extra kick. The production is very clean, giving plenty of space for the catchy riffs to shine, but even more so for the bass, which kicks off many of the more impressive passages and goes nicely in hand with the melodic solos on this EP.

by X-Ray Rod

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Dissonant death metal, and particularly when overlapping with technical death, is a genre some might claim is prone to prioritizing maddening chaos over satisfying songwriting when left in less competent hands. Crown Of Madness very much do not fall into this trap; the Canadian duo do incorporate complexity and dissonance into their death metal, but they also have an appreciation for rewarding song structures and hooky riffs. With hints of melody and intuitive ebbs and flows within tracks, Crown Of Madness do not sacrifice memorability for extremity; slower passages allow room to breathe, or to headbang along to grim, trudging grooves, and melodic layers or leads within the more intense portions ensure they don’t become overwhelming. Elemental Binding is a brief yet accomplished EP that gives promising signs for the full-length debut that is scheduled to follow.

by musclassia

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"Gothic metal" is a term a bit more nebulous than meets the eye, but you know it when you hear it. Gloomy atmospheres, macabre fascinations, melodramatic vocals, all that. Dying Heart, a band name about as gothic as it gets, is the one-man project of one Mourning Star and their approach on this EP is, unpolished as it is, pretty unconventional. A lot of the instrumentation is a more mechanical goth rock / post-punk in the vein of early early '80s The Cure and Joy Division, mixed with neoclassical elements like organs. It's that mechanical feeling, alongside with how the clean vocals sound, where the mixing certainly deserves some work, but the way the goth rock then explodes in some Shining-esque depressive black metal injections is enough to make the sound of this feel vital. And I'll be damned if I don't hear a bit of Swanö influence too in the 10-minute long "Queen Nightingale".

by RaduP

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