Written by:	nikarg, musclassia, RaduP, Starvynth, Abattoir, Thryce
Published:	January 05, 2025

Clandestine Cuts Volume 14, Issue #12
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!

(Do you 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. 14 #11
Clandestine Cuts Vol. 14 #10
Clandestine Cuts Vol. 14 #9

And now to the new music...

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Veteran Clandestine Cuts fans might remember the first edition that I participated in since the feature's revival in 2018. One of those bands that I covered was Meridian Sun, with a behemoth of a stoner epic that later became the title track of a fantastic album. Hearing that the guitarist of that band is now also part of a melodic death metal band did spark my interest. Broken Bonds is a two song demo EP showcasing a Gothenburg styled melodic death metal that manages to inject a lot of melodic riffing and constantly evolving structures within less than ten minutes. The Meridian Sun connection didn't lead to much overlay in styles, aside from a slight sludgy dash in some moments of "Broken Bonds", and the production is clearly demo level without hurting the sound too much, but there's a lot of promise for Scale Of Attrition.

by RaduP

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Hailing from Estonia, Sunstealer is a quartet exploring post-rock/metal territories, with elements of blackgaze and doom. The band has great talent in intertwining pristine melodies with heavy riffs, and in building up tension in the songs before they send them to explode into the cosmos. The music is expansive, devastating, and effortlessly attention-grabbing. Only one track has vocals (“Embodying The Void”), but Sunstealer’s instrumental prowess successfully shifts the mood of the songs from lighter to darker and from delicate to crushing. The opener, “Sunset Seen By The Both Of Us” is gently opening the door, showcasing the band’s post-rock sensibilities, and the more the demo progresses, the heavier it gets, until it closes with “Expeditions To Night Sky”, which is an absolute cracker, being both melodic and hard-hitting. The best song on here, though, must be “Meteor Trails”, whose progression and emotional resonance are surprising for a newcoming band. In fact, the whole demo is of outstanding quality.

by nikarg

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Self-proclaimed ‘honest, loud and heavy’ music from Hamburg, this self-titled demo is the first recording released by German five-piece Calyss. While it contains two tracks, they are two very different entities; “Storm Ended, Sea Calm. Despair Is Over All” is very much an introductory piece, featuring just piano and a sample from modern horror classic The Lighthouse. Following this calm comes the storm of “Stayed At Sea”, a 10-minute post-metal brute comprised of ominous atmospheres, pained vocal roars, and bruising trudges. It’s very much of a genre, with the instrumental tonality, dynamics and song structuring expected from a post-metal track, but the execution is accomplished and evocative.

by musclassia

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And now for something somewhat different: this Miami-based five-piece is probably the odd duck in this month’s lineup. Calling Newly Opposed’s Underglow ‘versatile’ is like calling a hurricane ‘windy’ - it barely scratches the surface of their musical capacity. Underglow is more like a sprawling, all-you-can-eat buffet of sound, serving up a strangely addictive and meticulously crafted blend of chugging alternative metal, delicious shoegaze passages and several hints of juicy metalcore. Toss in sprinkles of nu-metal and even an unexpected dash of drum and bass, all topped off with these distinct vocals - from razor-sharp cleans, to harsh screams that punch you in the gut. But here’s the twist: just when you think you’ve figured them out, Newly Opposed storm in, flip the tables, and turn the whole thing into a chaotic, no-holds-barred food fight. Their mixed bag of influences burns as infectiously as wildfire on dry grass. Their recipe is raw, unpredictable, and anything but formulaic, and in a weird way the songs stick (well, except perhaps for the slightly redundant intro and outro). Underglow somehow manages to sound cohesive without ever feeling too derivative - and doesn’t mind throwing a few punches along the way. For those with an open mind and a hunger for something with a more “modern” taste, this 25-minute EP might just hit the spot.

by Thryce

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Geographically speaking, the Central American region is not really a common destination where you would find a lot of bands producing metal music. However, from time to time, you can stumble upon a breakthrough discovery if you dig deep enough into the world of underground. And that’s the beauty of persistent music exploration. In this case, presenting themselves with a 5-piece debut EP, Cenotaph, is a post-black metal band from Guatemala, NihilistVoid. The latter offers an intensive journey with several turns in pace within the songs structures. Diverse and very persuasive growls/screams are combined with a pleasant contribution of sorrowful clean vocals that, interweaving with penetrating gritty guitar riffs which also possess a dose of an emotional touch, pour out a strong melancholic vibe. NihilistVoid can be very proud of this music effort, which will surely evoke some positive senses among the listeners.

by Abattoir

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Jagal (Indonesian for "butcher") describe their latest release as 'blackened primitive death doom metal', and that label fits quite well. The band, formed on the island of Java in 2022, released their debut EP shortly afterward, followed now by a demo. Despite less than two years between the two releases, the sound on Demo MMXXIV is barely recognizable compared to its predecessor. While the four Indonesians have stayed within the broad confines of the doom/death genre, the traces of sludge and stoner metal that were still prominent on their EP Wraith Creatures have almost entirely disappeared, replaced by a strong black metal influence. Admittedly, the 2023 EP felt somewhat awkward, particularly in terms of vocals, and the songwriting lacked direction. In contrast, the three tracks on the demo are cohesive, as if cut from the same cloth. At the same time, each track retains its own identity, with distinctive features and individual highlights. Fans of raw, faster-paced doom/death - where you count BPM rather than seconds between drum beats - should definitely give this a listen.

by Starvynth

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