Battle Ground, Washington one-person project CHVD crafts desolate, introspective depressive black metal characterized by icy tremolo lines and suffocating bleakness. The project leans into isolation and despair as core aesthetic anchors.

Raleigh, North Carolina's Château blend traditional heavy metal songcraft with black metal atmosphere, resulting in music that feels both nostalgic and unsettling. Their songs carry melodic hooks beneath a layer of occult darkness.

Madison, Wisconsin solo project Cicada the Burrower weaves post-black metal and progressive metal into elaborate, emotionally turbulent compositions that range from serene to overwhelming. The project's releases on Bindrune Recordings have earned widespread underground recognition for their depth and originality.

Rock Springs, Wyoming black metal project Cimejes conjure bleak, isolated darkness that fits the desolate high plains landscape of their home state. Their recordings favor raw production and grim atmosphere over accessibility.

Richmond, Virginia black metal act Circle Breaker channel the rawness and fury of the underground into cold, aggressive recordings steeped in misanthropic atmosphere. Richmond's active extreme metal scene has shaped their direct, uncompromising approach.

Denver pagan/black metal outfit Circle of Beings weave nature worship and ancient mythology into atmospheric, melodic black metal compositions. Their sound draws on European pagan metal traditions while reflecting the vast landscapes of the American West.

Wisconsin black metal act Circle of Wolves pursue a raw, cold sound rooted in second-wave tradition and midwestern isolation. Their recordings carry the grim, unadorned atmosphere that defines the American black metal underground.

New Orleans trio Circling Vultvre conjures a suffocating blend of black, death, and doom metal steeped in Southern Gothic dread. Their music circles decay and darkness with relentless, unhurried menace.

Moorhead, Minnesota's Citadel channel Nordic black metal fury through a Viking metal lens, crafting cold, atmospheric epics that evoke the frozen plains of the upper Midwest as much as ancient Scandinavia.