Named after a three-headed kaiju, Merced's Gidorah bring a corresponding multi-pronged assault of death metal brutality, groove-driven rhythm, and metalcore intensity. Their music hits like a creature that attacks from every direction at once.

Sacramento's Girth have been pounding out thick-necked thrash and groove metal since 2005, favoring riffs with mass and swing over flashy technique. They're a blue-collar band in the best sense — no frills, all force.

Connecticut's Glass Divide brings groove metal's locked-in chug and metalcore's emotional intensity together in a combination that hits hard and keeps moving. The Shelton outfit has been sharpening this dual-edged attack since 2017.

Indianapolis's Global Plague works the space between progressive metalcore's technical reach and groove metal's locking-in low end, building music with enough structural interest to reward repeat listens and enough blunt force to satisfy immediately. Active since 2020.

California's Goathead blend groove metal's mid-tempo stomp with thrash's riff-driven energy and classic heavy metal hooks, resulting in music built for fists-in-the-air catharsis. Formed in 2020, they have a knack for making heaviness feel effortless.

Kansas City's Gravelord blend death metal's brutality with the groove-forward swagger of groove metal, producing a sound that moves as much as it destroys. Since 2015 they've ruled their corner of the Missouri underground with thick, mid-paced authority.

Houston's Grimlock surfaced in 2024 with a groove metal approach built on thick, mid-paced riffs and a relentless chug — the kind of music that demands movement and doesn't waste time on subtlety. A young band with a clear and punishing purpose.

Richland Center, Wisconsin's Guilty of Destruction have been fusing groove metal's locked-in heaviness with metalcore's structural aggression since 2014, producing music built around thick midrange riffs and rhythmic impact. They're the kind of band that sounds best cranked loud in a small room.