A Eugene, Oregon heavy metal outfit active since 1993, drawing on hard rock energy and classic metal structure to deliver straightforward, riff-driven material rooted in the Pacific Northwest underground.

A traditional heavy metal band from Kansas City, Missouri, Monster have been playing with energy and directness since 2010, keeping alive the no-frills heavy metal spirit in a Midwestern scene that tends to reward persistence.

Atlanta's Monster formed in 2010 and operate at the crossroads of heavy metal and thrash, delivering tight, aggressive material with the hard-edged directness that has long characterized Georgia's underground metal community.

A New Jersey solo project launched in 2020, Monster Mike occupies the fertile space between heavy metal and progressive metal, favoring ambitious arrangements and technical flourish alongside traditional metal muscle.

Detroit's Montage have been working the heavy/power metal spectrum since 2002, combining soaring melodic ambition with the blunt, blue-collar heaviness that defines the Motor City's long metallic tradition.

Born in Longview, Texas, Monte Pittman is a guitarist best known as Madonna's long-standing live bandleader, having joined her touring operation in 2001, while also serving as bassist and composer for Prong and later Ministry. His solo career, launched with The Deepest Dark in 2009, explores hard rock and heavy metal, with seven albums released including the concurrent 2018 releases Between the Space and Better or Worse, which demonstrated the range of his songwriting across aggressive and acoustic styles.

Named for the vengeful narrator of Poe's 'The Cask of Amontillado,' Irvine's Montresor have been delivering heavy and power metal since 2011 — ambitious, melodic, and steeped in classic metal storytelling from Southern California.

A Buffalo, New York heavy metal band formed in 2021, Monument began in the city's storied tradition of hard, guitar-driven music and have since evolved toward a harder rock sensibility while retaining their metal roots.

Moodswyng is a Stamford, Connecticut outfit blending old-school heavy metal muscle with thrash-driven aggression since 2016. Their sound sits squarely in the tradition of classic American metal, channeling the energy of the genre's formative years into a modern context.