Denver's Death Bed Confession have been hauling groove-heavy riffs through the Colorado metal underground since 2011, blending hard rock swagger with thick, head-nodding heaviness. Their sound sits somewhere between the bulldozing midtempo crunch of groove metal and the bluesy muscle of classic heavy metal.

Los Angeles heavy metal outfit Death by Numbers formed in 2023, tapping into the city's deep well of classic-influenced hard-edged metal. Their sound walks the line between traditional heavy metal power and modern songwriting urgency.

Los Angeles's Death Dealer Union plant their flag firmly in classic heavy metal territory, channeling the riff-first sensibility and hard rock muscle that defined the genre's golden era. Formed in 2023, they're part of a Southern California revival of no-frills, hook-driven metal.

Portland's Death Machine drag heavy metal into the gutter with crust punk's filth and fury, a grimy collision born from the Pacific Northwest's underground in 2016. Raw, loud, and decidedly unpolished.

Atlanta's Death of Kings have been sharpening the blade of heavy and thrash metal since 2010, channeling classic Southern aggression through a no-frills, riff-first mentality. They play it heavy, direct, and loud.

Dallas heavy metal unit Deathrider has been carrying the lone star flag for classic metal since 2012, delivering punishing riffs with a nod toward the raw power of the NWOBHM and its American descendants. Texas grit, old-school fire.

Rising from Twin Falls in 2019, Idaho's Deathstalker hunts at the crossroads of death and thrash metal, channeling the kind of relentless forward momentum that comes from playing in a scene with something to prove. Isolated, hungry, and riff-driven.

Melodic heavy metal from Winthrop Harbor, Illinois, Deceived pairs polished, hook-driven songwriting with the grit of the Lake Michigan shore. Since 2015 they've been honing a sound that sits squarely in the tradition of classic American melodic metal.

Los Angeles heavy/power metal act Decision brings a classic, hard rock-adjacent sensibility to the Southern California scene — anthemic, guitar-forward, and drenched in the kind of melodic ambition the city's heritage demands. Formed in 2010, they've carved out a niche in the LA underground that has no shortage of competition but always room for a well-crafted heavy metal song.