Clandestine Cuts #10 - Feat. Crimson Blue, De Profvndis Clamati, Fractalline, Helsott, Isolation In Infamy, Ogen, Weapon
Written by: | Doc G., Ivor, Troy Killjoy, X-Ray Rod, Ag Fox, Thryce |
Published: | July 01, 2011 |
Clandestine Cuts #10
Demo/EP Spotlight
Just because it's slightly pale, rotting of decay, and turned over in a gutter doesn't mean it's dead. Defying all expectations, Clandestine Cuts has successfully lived until it's 10th issue, so happy birthday CC! Here's to another couple dozen!
In case your new at this, you still got time to go back and give our previous issues a listen:
Clandestine Cuts #5
Clandestine Cuts #6
Clandestine Cuts #7
Clandestine Cuts #8
Clandestine Cuts #9
Voting Closed on January 10, 2012
Crimson Blue - Iceland http://www.myspace.com/crimsonbluelab/music Nu Art Metal, you say? Heh, what else is nu around here? Jokes aside, though, this might be one hell of a début album in the making. What you will hear is a female fronted prog. That's already something as there are not that many or enough around, I'd say. But besides that the genre label is quite an accurate one. The band is drawing influences all around, from Tool to Dream Theater to To-Mera, and, yes, adding bits of nu metal along the lines of Korn. Listening to this demo you'll hear various moments that you know so painfully well from the best of the scene, and yet the band blend it together and make it their own and interesting. Not as aggressive and edgy as you'd guess from the description but undoubtedly beautiful. As this is a demo, some songs suffer quality-wise but if the ideas and direction stay and make it on the début album, that'll be one big treat! by Ivor |
De Profvndis Clamati - In Between Passionate Minnuendos http://www.myspace.com/deprofvndisclamati Funeral doom can be one of two things, both of which can be executed well or poorly. One form of funeral doom is the calming, harmonious, seemingly enchanting escape into a fantasy world that all but leaves behind the stresses of the daily grind. Another form is the murky, low-fi aggressive form of funeral doom that all but makes your life seem less distressing than the soul-crushing music coming through your speakers. De Profvndis Clamati belong to the former variety, burying your hopes and dreams in a field of desolation, only to replace it with a glimmering portal that leads to beautiful parallel universe. The ethereal melodies make for an easy transition into the cloudless wonder beyond, with an instrumental introduction featuring a seductive piano and an uplifting symphony that is all but obliterated by the monstrous growls in the EP's concluding second track. Enjoy floating above the rest of us while we watch from an ever-growing distance... by Troy Gallant |
Fractalline - Infinite Entropy http://www.myspace.com/fractalline Fractalline is the kind of death metal outfit your mom would describe as that weird band where someone screams a lot. In case a broken rhythm pattern falls under your definition of technical, then you can also call them technical. In my solar system we just call it technical for the sake of being technical. The five-tracker has its moments though. Especially when they drop the whole "weedily-weedily" gimmick and get more straightforward on your ass. Then you'll instantly mosh your way into a concrete wall. Ideal as a tasty in-between snack. by Thryce |
Helsott - Folkvangr http://www.myspace.com/helsott Pagan Metal! You know...the Viking imagery...by Americans? Whether it's authentic or not, I guess Helsott sort of got the spirit correct with some added sugar, but the music still leaves a lot to be desired. It's evident that they are skilled with their instruments whilst both the clean female vocals and harsh male ones are not bad either, but what's lacking here is a correct production and songwriting abilities. As much as I love cheesy keyboard-drenched metal, the ones here present on this EP really irk me in two ways. Firstly, it's overwhelming despite its "veiled"/clogged up sound. You know, like someone speaking with their fingers pinching both of their nostrils but still loud enough for the whole room to hear. Secondly, intros aside, the keys tend to play the exact same melody as the guitars. Had there been a separate line of melody for it that actually compliments the music rather than just being there for the sake of adding an extra layer that smothers everything else, it would have been considerably more enjoyable. As for now, those diabetic towards melodic keyboards and clean female vocals better start monitoring their blood glucose levels. by Ag Fox |
Isolation In Infamy - Isolation In Infamy http://www.myspace.com/isolationininfamy Isolation In Infamy plays technical death metal... That is all. ...Unfortunately I have to try a little harder and not write just one sentence, but seriously guys... You've heard this before. Forming in 2007 with a demo from 2008 and this self-titled EP, this American band plays this kind of technical death metal with some melodic leads here and there that has been done a gazillion times before and better. They sure as hell know how to use their instruments though since there's enough variation of riffs and there's just the right amount of blastbeats. I can see how this might be interesting for someone who has never listened to this kind of music before but for all the metalheads and their moms around the globe, this isn't news. If I have to name one positive aspect is the low amount of needless wankery that is so abundant within this kind of music but it's the lack passion and feeling of déjà vu that damages my opinion of this EP. by Mr. Doctor |
Ogen - Black Metal Undound http://www.myspace.com/ogenblackmetal Bold claim there Ogen, bold claim. Black metal unbound? Hardly. Quite the contrary, actually. It sounds like atmospheric brand black metal completely bound in a safe little comfort zone, occasionally wriggling toward something with a little more ingenuity, but falling flat. In fact, this is so typical 90% of the time a title like Black Metal Unbound seems almost self-mocking in a way. The only thing that doesn't make this a generic EP in it's entirety is the occasional Enslaved worship. Without a doubt someone will find some value in this, as there is a tendency to worship anything that strafes even slightly out of complete blandness. All I'm hearing is "Yeah, we play generic black metal, but sometimes we have clean vocals!" by Doc Godin |
Weapon Of Choice - The Rebellion http://www.myspace.com/weaponofchoicekills/music As if they were in a hurry to put their skills to the test, the Canadian assault that is Weapon Of Choice begins their tight EP with "Descent". Giving us one fast and aggressive thrash riff after another with very vicious vocals. Pissed as all hell, this band brings us a cool formula of thrash with touches of hardcore, death metal and a good sense of groove from time to time. Think something reminiscent of The Haunted and add some details of good deathroll riffs a la Entombed to spice things up a little bit and you'll have an idea about what this band will present you. Here we have a band that promises us a fair deal of nice things. It's not very original or complicated (this style of metal is hardly any of those things) but the performance, passion and overall coolness of this band is highly appreciated by yours truly. by Mr. Doctor |
Comments
Comments: 20
Visited by: 131 users
X-Ray Rod Skandino Staff |
Doc G. Full Grown Hoser Staff |
BloodTears ANA-thema Elite |
X-Ray Rod Skandino Staff |
Doc G. Full Grown Hoser Staff |
Bad English Tage Westerlund |
X-Ray Rod Skandino Staff |
Ivor Staff |
X-Ray Rod Skandino Staff |
Ivor Staff |
X-Ray Rod Skandino Staff |
Ivor Staff |
Ivor Staff |
Doc G. Full Grown Hoser Staff |
qlacs "The Quaker" |
Susan Smeghead Elite |
X-Ray Rod Skandino Staff |
WeaponofChoice Posts: 1 |
X-Ray Rod Skandino Staff |
Ag Fox Angel No More Elite |
Hits total: 8315 | This month: 12