The Metal Storm Demo/EP Spotlight
Brand New Independent Metal Lives Here.
Welcome to the Clandestine Cuts!
Welcome to the Clandestine Cuts!
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 #7
Clandestine Cuts Vol. 15 #6
Clandestine Cuts Vol. 15 #5
And now to the new music...
Neuroblade - Desert Claw (Belgium)
[Heavy Metal | U.S. Power Metal | Thrash Metal]
Hailing from Belgium, Neuroblade is a duo consisting of Jochen Mouton on vocals and David Vandewalle handling all instruments. It is quite a feat that only two people manage to present this upper-tier blend of heavy/U.S. power/thrash metal, with five compositions that ooze energy, passion, and a certain amount of technicality. Vandewalle comes up with potent riffs and catchy lead melodies, while Mouton’s versatile voice (often sounding like the spawn of James Rivera and Warrel Dane), really takes the songs one level higher. Influenced by the likes of Sanctuary/Nevermore, Helstar, Judas Priest, and Mercyful Fate, Desert Claw is an EP that delivers on all fronts for any fan of the more traditional styles of metal, boasting a progressive touch and a ton of talent.
by nikarg
Desmadre - The Fallen Beasts Of Lechupangue (USA)
[Hardcore | Grindcore]
Desmadre is a band coming out of New Mexico, and this latest EP of theirs comes twelve long years since the previous one, The Battle Of Chaka Kahn Chapter 9B, Verse 787759. With The Fallen Beasts Of Lechupangue, not only do they prove that they can find awesome titles for their releases, but also that they can successfully walk the fine line dividing grindcore and hardcore punk. Influenced by death metal, crossover thrash, and even black metal at times, Desmadre reveal five new songs full of energy, aggression, and interesting, sometimes tongue-in-cheek lyrics, all wrapped up in a very cool cover art, which is a collage of animal bones found in the desert by guitarist Adrian Romero. If you like GBH, The Accüsed, Cryptic Slaughter, and Venom simultaneously, this should be up your alley.
by nikarg
Starlit Pyre - Veins Of Sulfur (France)
[Melodic Death Metal]
An offshoot from Temnein, Starlit Pyre are a French quintet who have wasted little time since forming in 2024, as they have already written, recorded and released an impressive debut EP in Veins Of Sulfer. The band offer a relatively no-frills take on Gothenburg-style melodeath, storming out of the gates on “Empire’s Downfall” with rampant verses and pyrotechnic choruses lit up by incendiary guitar leads. However, what Veins Of Sulfur may lack in novelty, it delivers amply when it comes to memorable hooks, both when surging forth at full pelt and also at more moderate tempos, such as on the mid-era Dark Tranquillity -inspired “Solar Rays”. In a relatively quiet year for melodeath, Starlit Pyre glow with immense promise based on these first few songs of their journey.
by musclassia
Effuse - On Others (USA)
[Progressive Metal]
There has been plenty of change for Atlanta prog-metal band Effuse since the release of their first EP Contextual Noise back in 2019; vocalist/synth player Chris Deere is the only remaining member from that release on new EP On Others (although former bassist Greg Hendler is still producing the record). An expanded 5-piece line-up has relieved some of the responsibility from Deese, and this new-look ensemble makes one hell of a first impression with this sumptuous 4-song release. There’s initially hints of Elder-esque proggy psychedelia in the first seconds of “Observer”, but the band then reveal themselves to be more oriented towards modern melodic prog-metal, serving up crunching tones and complex rhythms in tandem with Deese’s resonant clean vocals. While there are some harsh screams/growls, the EP’s strengths lie in its evocative melodies and rich, convoluted soundscapes, which harbor a faint resemblance to acts such as The Contortionist and Voyager.
by musclassia
First To Burn - Baptism By Fire (USA)
[Metallic Hardcore]
If you’ve got ears, a pulse, and no pressing medical emergencies to tend to, any time is the right time for a good slab of metallic hardcore. With their second EP, this up-and-coming Arkansas-based band continues to make a surprisingly confident mark. Their brand of hardcore is meaner than a junkyard dog, yet technically precise enough to keep things fresh. Baptism By Fire strikes the right balance between bite and rhythm: aggressive without being mindless, and melodic without losing the jagged edges that give it character. First To Burn brings just the right amount of bone-fracturing breakdowns, blood-pounding riffs, and sheer energy potent enough to choke a horse or two. Black coffee for the ears: too strong to sip calmly, too loud to sleep on.
by Thryce
Clagarnaċ - Foscadh (Ireland)
[Folk Metal]
Folk Metal and I will probably never be close companions. But exceptions prove the rule, and one of those rare exceptions was Clagarnaċ from Galway. Was, because the band split up for unknown reasons right after releasing their first EP. Foscadh is the legacy of a band that emerged sometime in the early 2020s from the cold ashes of Na Cruithne, and, despite their short-lived existence, carved out a small niche of their own within the musical landscape. Clagarnaċ sound more or less as if someone had handed Primordial an accordion and a bouzouki, and then sent them off on a long club tour, performing night after night in dim, smoky taverns in front of half-drunk dockworkers. Their Irish identity is unmistakable, not only because they sing in Gaeilge, but also in the way they shift seamlessly from melancholy, yearning, and weighty themes to pathos and zest for life. This contrast, so typical of Irish music, pervades the five tracks on Foscadh. What sets Clagarnaċ apart is their ability to weave this strand of Celtic heritage and traditional elements into extreme metal without tipping over into gimmickry or party-band clichés.
by Starvynth
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