Wichita, Kansas groove and nu-metal act Shiva formed in 2023, tapping into the heavy, mid-paced groove sensibilities of the genre while adding the abrasive, hook-driven elements that defined nu-metal's crossover appeal — an unexpected entry from the Kansas underground.

Grand Forks, North Dakota's Shotgun Facelift play a no-frills strain of groove metal, delivering heavy, mid-paced riffing from one of the most geographically isolated metal scenes in the country since forming in 2020.

Phoenix, Arizona's Shovel Monster arrived in 2022 delivering groove metal built for the desert Southwest — locked-in riffs, stomping rhythms, and a no-frills heaviness that owes as much to blue-collar grit as it does to the genre's peak-era swagger.

Richmond, Virginia's Shovelhead A.D., formed in 2024, come out swinging with a groove-and-thrash hybrid that suits the city's fertile underground metal history — heavy, mid-paced punishment with an emphasis on riff momentum.

Dallas groove metal band formed in 2021, rooted in the mid-paced, downtuned chug and hard-hitting rhythmic aggression that defines the groove metal tradition — a Texas act carrying the state's long-standing connection to heavy, riff-driven metal.

Pike County, Pennsylvania death/groove metal and hardcore hybrid active since 2007, named after the aggressive African driver ant — a fitting moniker for a band that merges the relentless churn of death metal with groove-heavy riffing and hardcore's blunt force.

Nashville thrash/death/groove/Southern metal band formed in 2020, bearing the Virginia state motto — a phrase synonymous with defiant violence — as their banner while blending the riff-forward aggression of groove metal with the humidity and grit of Southern metal.

Johnson City, Tennessee metalcore and groove metal band formed in 2022, blending the melodic aggression and dynamic shifts of metalcore with the heavyweight mid-tempo chug of groove metal — a young act from the Appalachian edge of the state's emerging heavy music scene.

Southern Colorado groove metal act formed in 2022, building heavy, riff-locked rhythmic attack from a region of the Rockies better known for wilderness than metal.