Thin Ice is a heavy metal band from Tipton, Iowa, formed in 2019 in the kind of small Midwestern town where metal bands form out of sheer necessity against the flatness. Their straightforward heavy metal approach reflects the no-nonsense character of Iowa's working-class music community.

Third Degree is a heavy metal band from Centereach, New York on Long Island, formed in 2021, drawing on traditional heavy metal's melodic and hard-hitting qualities within a suburban scene that has produced plenty of underground talent. Their sound stays close to the genre's foundational elements without overcomplicating the formula.

This Berlin, New Hampshire incarnation of Third Degree leans into power metal's soaring vocals and driving rhythms alongside classic heavy metal, formed in 2021 in one of New England's more remote corners. The cold, rugged character of northern New Hampshire makes an unlikely but apt backdrop for anthemic, high-energy metal.

Third Degree from Saint Paul, Minnesota is a melodic heavy metal and hard rock act formed in 2021, emphasizing strong hooks, clean vocals, and a polished approach to traditional heavy metal songwriting. They represent the Twin Cities' broader appetite for melodic, accessible metal with roots in the genre's classic era.

Dallas, Texas's Thorn formed in 2023 playing traditional heavy metal and power metal, joining a city with a long history of the genre and bringing melody, anthem-ready hooks, and twin-guitar power to the Texas metal scene.

Chicago's Those Motherfuckers have been tearing up the Midwest underground since 2009 with a punk-metal hybrid that fuses crust's bile and urgency with heavy metal's riff-driven power. Direct, loud, and unapologetically abrasive, they belong to a long Chicago tradition of bands who don't waste time with subtlety.

Denver's Thoughtcrime formed in 2021 at the crossroads of traditional heavy metal and thrash, borrowing the Orwellian name to signal a politically charged edge beneath the riff-forward attack. Their sound sits in the classic American heavy/thrash continuum, energetic and hook-conscious without sacrificing aggression.

Raleigh, North Carolina heavy/thrash act formed in 2016, drawing on the punishing riff traditions of classic American thrash while keeping their sound rooted in no-frills heavy metal aggression. They occupy a corner of the Southeast underground where speed and blunt force matter more than polish.

Portland, Oregon heavy/thrash outfit formed in 2022, arriving at a time when the city's underground was producing a fresh generation of bands committed to classicist riffing and direct metallic impact rather than genre experimentation.