New York's Shadow of Demise have been at it since 2006, fusing the groove-forward chug of groove metal with outright death metal brutality into a sound that's both punishing and propulsive. Their long tenure gives them a road-worn authority that newer bands are still working toward.

Martinsville, Virginia's Shadows Within have been blending groove metal's rhythmic stomp with metalcore's intensity since 2011, carving out a sound rooted in the Southern region's blue-collar hard rock tradition. Their approach leans on heavy, mid-tempo riffing anchored by metalcore dynamics and a songwriting sensibility honed over more than a decade of regional activity.

Denver's Shard have been building their groove metal sound since 2020, channeling the genre's signature syncopated heaviness into the Colorado scene's increasingly diverse heavy music landscape. Their music sits in the thick-riffed, head-down groove tradition — built for momentum and physical impact.

Philadelphia's Sharkbullet arrived in 2018 playing groove and thrash metal with the East Coast's characteristic directness — dense, percussive riffing that locks into a body-moving groove before exploding into full-tilt thrash aggression. The band benefits from Philadelphia's historically combative live scene, where their sound finds a natural home.

Tampa's Shimera brings a groove-heavy approach to heavy metal, leaning into the mid-paced churn and rhythmic swagger of groove metal within a city known for producing acts that favor intensity over flash.

A New York act founded in 2014, ShitKill blend groove metal's chunky, riff-forward momentum with thrash's velocity, crafting a muscular hybrid sound rooted in the aggressive traditions of the Northeast underground.

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.