Yeah, we know that you are all deep diving into the Metal Storm Awards nominations, but if you can find some extra time, check out what fresh gems we found in the underground for you. First issue of the Clandestine Cuts for 2025, the beginning of the 15th volume (!) of this series, and, as always, some pretty cool and independent releases featured.

I read it. I checked and bookmarked my selections. Will go through it pretty soon.

It's always amazing to see you gems to find underground gems here for us.

A brilliant issue. One of those where I actually enjoyed all the works featured (although with some slight variation in enjoyment).
Myncæfr, Saturno Devorador and Vitki are the ones closest to my tastes. The riffing and melodic moments on Myncæfr were incredible. The Mgla comparison is true considering the excellent drumming but it is far from a copy. “Veil Of Lies” was indeed spectacular with that acoustic guitar.

Saturno Devorador was otherwordly and mighty crushing. Not entirely sure if the effects on the growls work or not but it is quite unique sounding so I was very intrigued throughout the whole release! Phenomenal riffs that find the balance between cavernous and refined/technical. Will definitely keep an eye out for these guys.

Vitki at times made me think of a faster Nortt which is always a good thing. The production on the drums felt a bit off but the songwriting is ace and really liked the vocals as well.

Erode The Dream gets bonus points for the prettiest artwork by far. I'd frame that.

In the end I went for Myncæfr. The last track was just too good.

Cirrus Prior is definitely my pick for the month out of all of these, and could well be one of my favourite entries into CCs this year, it brings together a bunch of my preferred styles and does it well. Beyond that release, the one that stood out most to me was clearly Myncæfr, a very professionally made and hooky black metal release. I did also enjoy the vibe of Erode The Dream. Of the rest, Saturno Devorador is very effective at a maddening style of death metal that's not in my taste wheelhouse, my lack of taste for brutal death means I can't really comment on Divine Excruciation, and Vitki is too lo-fi and flowless for me to enjoy, but none of them are bad releases.

OK. That was easy for me. Cirrus Prior.

Saturno Devorador........"soundtrack of torment" describes this very well.
Over an hour has passed since I listened to the first two songs only and my solar plexus or something still hasn't recovered. Feels like the visceral equivalent to having stared too long at a bright light. I don't know if I ever want to listen to this again, because why would one inflict such an experience on oneself, and then again I might be disappointed if it isn't as intense the second time around.
If the poll was phrased "what was the most impactful/striking release?" this would have gotten my vote. But naming it as my favorite....perhaps if my favorite ice cream flavors were ground glass, rusty nails and vertigo.

Great selection overall, and a very promising start to the year.

Myncæfr - Ignorance Veil

Wonderfully raw and powerful vocals. The drum patterns refreshingly change often, keeping the rhythm interesting (unlike with many black metal bands). “Reborn in Light”‘s first two minutes alone contained, to my count, four unique styles and rhythms. However, the kick drum is overpowering in the mix, particularly on “Visions of Nothing” and the first half of “Veil of Lies”. The riffs are pretty good. I’m unsure whether “Veil of Lies” features a mandolin or a lute or just an acoustic guitar with some pedal, but it’s a perfect addition to the song and a welcome surprise. I’d rate this EP with a 7.5/10

Cirrus Prior - Premonition

As Musclassia noted, the production quality is superb. The cover art is fantastic. Besides a couple of exceptions (primarily Opeth), I favor straightforward yet effective riffs over complex ones, and this EP excels at that. Though I haven’t explored sludge much, I loved this. The middle and ending of “Desolation And The Void” combining ambient guitar with distortion/fuzz is one of the best things I’ve heard this year, but the “Chaos, the great deceiver” part of “Gateways” is somehow even better. Excellent stuff. 8.5/10

Saturno Devorador - Inmisericordiam

I love the atmosphere and the aggressive, wicked vocals. Based on just one listen, the songs all sort of meld into one long soundscape, though it’s a wonderfully filthy and menacing soundscape. The atmosphere of “Atractor” is especially great, despite lacking vocals. That song would have been my grandfather’s favorite; he spent his whole life driving a tractor. The band used a human artist—not a computer program—to create their album art, and they link to the artist’s Instagram page. That warms my heart like electrically heated lungs. 7/10

Erode The Dream - Neon Nightmares

The vocals are the only thing that truly captivated me here - very passionate and wonderfully raspy. It’s a very professional, mature album, but not really my thing. Definitely quality stuff, though, and I could at least see myself listening to “Vagabundo” again sometime. The ambient guitar and the bass lines in the verse of that track are glorious. 7/10

Divine Excruciation - Collapse Of Fractured Reality

This brutality is sexy and delightful. Excellent production, it almost sounds too pristine for the genre, but is actually just perfect. I’ve never realized how well fret noises suit extreme metal before. Clearly, I need to listen to more brutal death metal, since I’ve missed how that element can enhance the overall sound. This album has it all: killer riffs, badass vocals, superb songwriting. A fantastic listen. 8/10

Vitki - Subterranean Womb

I love the title track. The first three songs are decent, but nowhere near as good as “Subterranean Womb”. I wonder if this album would work better with thicker and wider production. Perhaps the near-mono soundscape works well for some listeners, but for me it leaves something to be desired. 6/10

My vote goes to Cirrus Prior, and it is not a difficult choice this time. Lots of good stuff on all other EPs too, though. Thank you, staff and contributors, for introducing these projects.

Myncæfr - 8.0

This was one hell of an opener to begin this years series with. It's just top quality black metal with a solid production strong arrangements, great vocals and impressive guitar work. Hopefully the start of a career that could lead to something special.

Cirrus Prior - 8.0

I thought the opening pick would take some beating but then I was suddenly hit with beast! From it's intensely powerful post-metal build-ups, to Earth-crushing mid-tempo chugs, to high-end aggressive vocals this has to be the filthiest and heaviest combination of sludge and post-metal I've listened to this year.

Saturno Devorador 7.0

I have to admit, this one took me a bit by surprise. It has such a stripped back raw and primal sound. The vocals are quite unique and take some getting used to but I'd say it's certainly the most evil edition featured here.

Erode The Dream - 7.5

A really solid effort here, I greatly admire the professionalism and musicianship here, it's a great sounding release with a remarkable production and impressive songwriting with the vocal performance being the stand-out element for me. Alternative is probably my least appreciated genre amongst the featured here but in this instance I'm really liking what I hear.

Divine Excruciation - 7.5

This might be the least original style I've listened to amongst the others but it's certainly well executed. Brutal death is a genre I've grown more fond of over time and this hits the all the right buttons from the gargling gutterals, to the brutally crushing slams, to the rapid shredding solo's, and it's immaculately produced and mixed with ultra precision. Despite lacking originality they're still one of the few brutal death band's I'm genuinely looking forward to hearing more of in the future.

Vitki - 7.0

Not a bad release but due to it's very lo-fi and raw nature I suspect it'll appeal more to a specific audience who are generally into that sort of thing as it's not the most comfortable or easiest listen. It's a very bold step to strip back to this level of authenticity, but there's layers beneath the repetitive instrumentation where eerie synths and harrowing chants give the music such a dramatic dark and sinister effect.

A great opening edition to what's been another fine year for the CC's and metal in general. It's a close call this one but Myncæfr gets my pick this time.