Phoenix, Arizona's Siphon have operated since 2004 at the intersection of thrash, groove metal, and hardcore, building a aggressive, crossover-inflected sound shaped by the desert Southwest's abrasive heavy music underground.

Tampa death metal institution founded in 1995 by ex-Cannibal Corpse vocalist Chris Barnes, known for mid-paced, groove-driven death metal with blunt lyrical carnage and a death 'n' roll swagger that separates them from the more technical end of Florida's scene. Prolific and uncompromising, they remain one of Tampa's most recognizable extreme metal exports.

Oklahoma City groove metal band formed in 2022, built around the hard-driving rhythmic punch and riff-first mentality that defines the genre, drawing from the vast flatland swagger of the Southern Plains. Groove metal suits Oklahoma's unpretentious working-class rock sensibility, and Sixth Gear leans into that without apology.

Skapegoat is a Denver, Colorado heavy and groove metal band that has been at it since 2001, building a catalog rooted in chunky, mid-tempo riffing and a blue-collar rock energy particular to the mountain West. They bring the no-frills heaviness of groove metal without the radio-ready sheen.

Skeletomb is a Detroit, Michigan doom and groove metal band formed in 2021, combining the slow, oppressive crush of doom metal with groove metal's rhythmic heaviness in a way that suits the Motor City's industrial character. Their sound is massive and lumbering, built for large rooms and low frequencies.

Skeleton Horse is a groove metal and metalcore band from Panama City, Florida, formed in 2010, blending the rhythmic heaviness of groove metal with the structural dynamics and vocal intensity of metalcore. The Florida Panhandle is an underreported region for heavy music, and Skeleton Horse represents its working underground.

Skeleton Rose is a gothic and groove metal band from Hallock, Minnesota — a town so small and remote it makes their very existence a statement — formed in 2019. They blend gloomy melodic gothic metal with groove metal's rhythmic punch, a combination that stands out sharply against the surrounding flatlands.

Akron, Ohio's Skeptic Lens channels progressive metal's structural ambition through the heavy mid-tempo swagger of groove metal, building dynamic compositions that balance cerebral construction with visceral impact since 2021.

St. Louis's Skeptik has been blurring the line between metalcore, nu-metal, and electronic production since 2015, an unpredictable outfit that leans into genre-mixing with an anything-goes energy rooted in the Midwest's diverse underground.