San Francisco's Mudface have been one of the Bay Area's reliable heavy and thrash metal acts since 2011, delivering hard-hitting riffs with a working-class directness that nods to the region's legendary thrash heritage without being beholden to nostalgia.

Chicago heavy/power metal act Munition formed in 2023 with an approach rooted in old-school metal tradition — anthem-ready riffs, soaring vocals, and the kind of chest-out directness that the genre's classic era was built on.

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Chicago heavy metal act Murdock 13 have been operating in the city's sprawling metal underground since 2017, playing traditional heavy metal with the directness and confidence that a city like Chicago demands. The number 13 in the name sets the tone — bad luck runs through the music.

Palm Bay, Florida's Murdok have been grinding it out since 1994, making them one of the more tenacious heavy metal acts in the state — three decades of survival in a scene that chews through bands constantly. Straight-ahead heavy metal with the longevity to back it up.

St. Augustine, Florida's Mushroom Star occupies a peculiar junction of black metal ferocity, classic heavy metal swagger, and punk recklessness, making them one of the more difficult-to-categorize acts in the Florida underground. Active since 2011, they bring a wild, anything-goes energy to a state better known for death metal orthodoxy.

San Marcos, Texas's Mutant Disease blend heavy and thrash metal into a hard-hitting hybrid that carries the swagger of the former and the velocity of the latter, landing in the rowdy tradition of Texas speed metal. Formed in 2016, they operate in the fertile Central Texas corridor between Austin and San Antonio.

Pearsall, Texas's Mute TX formed in 2022 playing groove and heavy metal from a small ranching town in South Texas, channeling working-class grit into a sound built on down-tuned riffs and hard-driving rhythms. Their presence demonstrates that Texas metal has roots in places far beyond the major metro areas.

Butte, Montana's My Fist Your Face bring the blunt physicality of the band name to their heavy/thrash metal approach, forming in 2024 with a beer-and-leather no-frills attitude suited to Montana's hardscrabble character.

Beverly, Massachusetts veterans My Pet Demon have been carrying the torch for heavy and thrash metal since 2001, their North Shore Massachusetts roots showing in a tough, workmanlike approach to classic metal forms.

Ringwood, New Jersey heavy metal band My Saviour have been active since 2007, crafting traditional heavy metal with classic song structures and the no-frills directness of a band that lets riffs do the talking.

Brooklyn's Mykey Massacre brings a punk-informed edge to heavy metal, formed in 2021 out of New York City's borough scene with a raw, street-level approach that values attitude and directness over polished production.

Oak Creek, Wisconsin's Myriad is a heavy metal act with roots stretching back to 1996, representing the long-haul dedication of the upper Midwest's underground scene with a traditional heavy metal approach honed over decades.

Frigid Black Metal from San Antonio.

Active since 1996 out of Whittier, California, Mysteria occupy the traditional end of heavy metal and hard rock, favoring classic song structures, melodic vocal lines, and the timeless guitar-driven approach of the genre's pre-extreme era.