New York's Faith and Fire sit at the harder end of hard rock and heavy metal, a sound built around anthemic conviction and strong riffs; the band formed in 2021 with clear reverence for the music that came before them.

Tulsa, Oklahoma's Falck formed in 2021 at the meeting point of thrash, groove, and traditional heavy metal — a combination that produces the kind of no-nonsense, hard-hitting music that the southern plains seem to generate with ease.

Tucson's Fall from Grace plays heavy metal with a hard rock sensibility, formed in 2018 in a desert city that has produced a surprisingly resilient metal underground despite — or perhaps because of — its remove from the coasts.

Detroit's Fall from Grace occupies familiar heavy metal and hard rock territory with the kind of gritty conviction you'd expect from a city that has always had a direct, unadorned relationship with loud, heavy music since 2018.

Philadelphia's Fall of Achilles formed in 2021 drawing from a wide net — groove, thrash, traditional heavy metal, and metalcore — reflecting Philly's history as a city where hardcore and metal have always bled into each other.

Brooklyn's Fallout have been delivering hard-nosed heavy metal and hard rock since 2018, rooted in the borough's long tradition of working-class rock and roll. Their sound is unshowy and direct — the kind of heavy metal that has more in common with a bar stage than an arena, and is better for it.

A heavy metal outfit out of Corvallis, Oregon, Fallout formed in 2018 and deals in the kind of meat-and-potatoes metal that keeps the genre's blue-collar roots alive. Straightforward riffs and a no-frills approach define their sound.

Albuquerque's Fallout channels the sun-scorched tenacity of the Southwest into classic heavy metal, active since 2018. Their music leans on the fundamentals — raw riffs, driving rhythms, and an uncompromising attitude.

Out of Hazelton, Pennsylvania, this Fallout has been delivering hard-hitting heavy metal since 2018. There's a regional grit to their approach that speaks to the working-class roots of the genre.