Los Angeles progressive/doom metal outfit Circle of Sighs build lengthy, emotionally complex compositions that move through shifting dynamics and melancholic atmosphere. Their sound blends the heaviness of doom with the ambitious structure of progressive metal.

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.

Ventura legends Cirith Ungol helped define American doom and epic heavy metal in the late 1970s and '80s with their dark, Tolkien-inspired sound and Tim Baker's instantly recognizable wail. Rediscovered by a new generation of doom devotees, they reunited in 2015 and continue to record.

Durham doom/groove metal duo City of Medicine lay down slow, crushing riffs drawn from North Carolina's fertile heavy underground. Their music moves with the measured weight of something that cannot be stopped.

Los Angeles death doom act Civerous conjure suffocating, subterranean darkness at the intersection of black, death, and doom metal, building cavernous soundscapes of genuine dread. Their Maze of Sorrow EP and Decrepit Flesh Relic debut mark them as one of the more compelling voices in contemporary underground death.

Florida death/doom act Clairsentience move at the funeral pace of the genre's most immovable practitioners, weighing down long, ominous compositions with suffocating low-end and an atmosphere of absolute despair.

Oakland, MS doom and stoner act Clawhammer pile on the fuzz and drag tempos down to a slow, hypnotic crawl. Their sound is thick with distortion and heavy atmosphere, rooted firmly in the traditions of southern-tinged doom.

Seattle's Cleanse navigate the slow, aching terrain between doom and post-metal, building expansive, emotionally charged pieces from crushing low-end and restrained atmosphere. Their sound carries the grey weight of the Pacific Northwest.

Granger, Indiana doom metal outfit Climate of Despair channel bleak midwest winters into slow, crushing compositions built on massive riffs and an unrelenting sense of hopelessness. Their approach is traditional and unadorned, letting sheer heaviness do the work.