Boston's Chuggernaut merges groove metal's locked-in heaviness with Southern metal's swagger, an unlikely but effective combination in a city more associated with hardcore and punk. Their music is built around thick mid-tempo riffs designed to move crowds.

Fort Madison, Iowa groove metal outfit Chupacabra takes their name from the legendary creature and brings a similarly lurking, heavy presence to the Midwest underground. Their sound is built on mid-paced groove and the kind of riff weight that makes rooms feel smaller.

Oklahoma City groove metal act Circumstance build heavy, mid-tempo bulldozers anchored by thick riffs and a hard-hitting rhythm section. Their sound lives in the pocket where groove metal meets modern aggression.

Tulsa's Cirkus blends Southern metal swagger with heavy groove, delivering thick riffs and a road-worn attitude rooted in Oklahoma's hard rock underground. Their music is equal parts dirt and electricity.

Cincinnati's Citizen X traffic in groove-driven thrash built on thick mid-paced riffs and a blue-collar Midwestern intensity. Their material locks hard into the pocket before erupting into fast-lane aggression.

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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.

Rapid City groove metal outfit Civil Serpent build heavy, mid-paced riffs out of the isolation and edge of the Great Plains, channeling South Dakota's sparse landscape into dense, grinding heaviness. Their sound is thick and unhurried.

Indiana's Clarence Oddbody brings a beefy groove metal sensibility to the rural Midwest, stacking heavy riffs on punishing mid-tempo rhythms. Named for the angel in It's a Wonderful Life, the band's approach is anything but angelic.