Written by:	nikarg, AndyMetalFreak, musclassia, Thryce, F3ynman, Starvynth
Published:	June 01, 2025

Clandestine Cuts Volume 15, Issue #5
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 at metalstorm dot net to submit your music.)

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

Clandestine Cuts Vol. 15 #4
Clandestine Cuts Vol. 15 #3
Clandestine Cuts Vol. 15 #2

And now to the new music...

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Twist Of Fate is the debut EP from one of the latest and most exciting bands to suddenly emerge on the NWOTHM scene, Myth Carver. The heavy metal quintet from Dallas, Texas recently began their promising journey back in 2024 by releasing two exciting and fiery singles, "King of the Pyre" and "Crimson Terrain". They have now continued on route with a further four tracks on this exhilarating, high-octane 17-minute EP, which contains everything a traditional heavy metal fan can possibly ask for. The classic duelling guitars of Tom Reyes and Jayson Braffett are presented through memorable punchy headbanging riffs and exciting traditional solos one after the other, whilst bassist Andrew Messer and drummer Steven Rodriguez keep the groovy, adrenaline-fueled rhythm flowing throughout. Vocalist Daniel Schmuck bellows out each verse and catchy chorus in such an energizing arena-pleasing manner, reminiscing the likes of Blackie Lawless and Rob Halford. Simply put, Twist Of Fate is four no-nonsense quality heavy metal anthems that throw you right into the midst of the '80s, leaving heavy metal fans in anticipation for more from these rising stars of the NWOTHM scene.

by AndyMetalFreak

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Pyrrhic Salvation is a project that originally started by Michael Altobello (guitars) and Sagar Nadgir (bass/drums), and released an EP in 2022, titled Manifestum I, with Veilburner’s Chrisom Infernium on vocals. Now with Shawn Ferrell brought aboard for vocals and production, When Society Crumbles is an ambitious and dense musical endeavour, which lyrically deals with apocalyptic themes. The title track, especially, is an immense song, divided in three parts, and the music is progressive and technical death metal, with some old-school Floridian death metal riffs thrown in, a few blackened touches, and quite a bit of dissonance, paired with twisted melody. There is definitely a lot to unravel here, both musically and thematically, so repeated listens keep on giving. The band’s undeniable instrumental proficiency and songwriting talent is now aided by a much better production, but it is still DIY, so the EP sounds as authentic and unhinged as it should.

by nikarg

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Visions Of Purity, the first EP from Southampton’s Thief’s Pardon, offers a theologically-driven take on prog-tinged melodeath. The trio of featured songs were recorded during the production of the project’s debut full-length record, and were grouped together on this release due to tonal and lyrical similarities, dubbed as the ‘brighter’ songs created during those recording sessions. While the songs, particularly “The Living One” and “Salar De Uyuni”, aren’t devoid of extreme metal elements, there is a consistent melodic emphasis that supports the brightness of songwriter and vocalist Will Demou’s vision. “The Living One” is probably the standout track included here, containing catchy classic metal-influenced guitar leads, Dark Tranquillity-inspired verses, stirring choruses, and a memorable bridge section. The clean vocals are mixed almost distantly in this song’s chorus, lending a grand epic feel in conjunction with the instrumentation; this approach perhaps suits Demou’s singing more than the front-and-centre placing they have in the at-times post-punk “And Then There Was Light”, but his Mikael Stanne-esque roars fit the aggression of closing song “Salar De Uyuni” like a glove.

by musclassia

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From the shadowed crags of the Swiss mountains comes Orgo. In just two lengthy tracks, this five-piece band, formed in 2021, crafts a massive, post-metal glacier wall stretching over 24 minutes. Their sludge-infused, dissonant soundscapes work disorienting across a desolate, hazy frozen plain, creating contrasting atmospheres of clarity and madness, wakefulness and dream. From far off, wild and primal screams (in French) echo through the ice-bound wasteland, kind of like the frenzied wails of a tormented hunter-gatherer teetering on the brink of despair. This two-song EP seems to exist in that zone where nothing feels stable, and everything threatens to collapse at any moment in a slow-motion crushing avalanche, suffocating you inch by inch as it descends.

by Thryce

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Insaciable is Colombian death metal quintet Flagelo’s debut EP, and what a great first impression it really is! The first three songs overwhelm the listener with a fast-paced whirlwind of intensity and aggression. Chunky rhythm guitars and unrelenting percussion lend the music a grindcore-like ferocity. The Spanish vocals, mostly in the form of indiscernible death growls, are occasionally accompanied by blackened rasps from the two guitarists. The last two songs mark a change in the EP's approach, slowing down the pace ever so slightly, impressing with an eerie atmosphere rather than senseless violence. Clean guitar solos whine unnervingly as the slow, methodical drum-work and drawn-out gutturals reverberate throughout the suffocating soundscape. The pounding rhythm morphs intriguingly, at times dipping into progressive melodies, at times settling into calm ambience, before leaping into dizzying, technical riffs. Flagelo’s debut offers an exciting blending of styles, with all the musicians working seamlessly together to provide a bleak, sinister maelstrom of aggression and unsettling vibes.

by F3ynman

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“Nebiru” is, on the one hand, the name of a Sumerian and Babylonian deity, but on the other hand also a term from ancient Mesopotamia that meant “point of transition” in the Akkadian language, particularly in an astronomical context. You don’t have to look far to find transitions in a musical sense with Nebiru, as the four musicians from Delitzsch near Leipzig are seasoned boundary-crossers between the realms of black metal and crust punk. From black metal, the quartet has taken on the dark aura and foreboding atmosphere; from bands like Discharge, Fall Of Efrafa, and GBH, they’ve adopted the raw heaviness and the direct, in-your-face attitude. As a result, the four tracks on their debut EP could roughly be described as a blend of Downfall Of Gaia and Anti Cimex. But that’s only half the truth: thanks to the German lyrics, Kontrast also occasionally brings to mind highlights from the discography of Fäulnis, which is always a good omen.

by Starvynth

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