San Francisco's Seven of Swords channel the Bay Area's rich thrash heritage through a lens of classic heavy metal energy, combining sharp, aggressive riffwork with a reverence for the melodic crunch of early-80s metal. Active since 2019, they bridge the gap between heads-down thrash fury and the hook-driven momentum of traditional heavy metal.

Salt Lake City's Sevenpoint have been forging a path through heavy and power metal since 2016, drawing on the epic melodic sensibilities of the power metal tradition while grounding their sound in the hard-hitting fundamentals of traditional heavy metal. Their Utah roots inform a certain grand, wide-open quality to the music.

Severed Angel is a Levittown, New York act founded in 2022, weaving symphonic grandeur into a heavy metal foundation. Metal Archives classifies them under melodic and symphonic heavy metal, suggesting a focus on sweeping arrangements and melodic hooks rather than brute force.

Severed Hand is a heavy and power metal band from Eatontown, New Jersey, formed in 2023. They traffic in the melodic, riff-driven side of the power metal spectrum, a relatively rare pursuit in the modern New Jersey underground.

Los Angeles heavy metal band Sexist operate with a provocateur's eye for irony — the name and Bandcamp handle (feministband) signal a band that uses the genre's bravado to subvert it rather than celebrate it. Active since 2014, they deliver traditional-leaning metal from the LA underground with a pointed edge.

Kingsport, Tennessee's SeñorX occupy a niche corner of the heavy metal world where shred guitar technique and neoclassical composition meet traditional metal structures, active since 2004 in the Appalachian corridor's quiet but dedicated metal scene. Their work is guitar-centric and technically ambitious, rooted in the virtuoso tradition.

Chesterton, Indiana's Shades of Grey have been playing technical thrash since 1996, an unusual longevity for a band from the small-city Midwest that speaks to a genuine obsession with the form. Their sound leans into the complex, riff-forward end of thrash, prioritizing intricacy alongside aggression.

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Portland, Oregon's Shadow Strategy Task Force have been working the intersection of progressive and traditional heavy metal since 2014, their name as deliberately odd as their approach — part conceptual project, part riff-forward metal band. The Pacific Northwest's tolerance for the unconventional gives them plenty of room to operate.

Rochester, New York's Shadowborn have been delivering traditional heavy metal since 2018, drawing from the NWOBHM-influenced template with a distinctly American Rust Belt grittiness. Their sound leans into melodic riffing and anthemic song structures, situating them firmly in the classic mold.

Philadelphia's Shadowdance have been operating in the power metal space since 2004, making them a notable long-tenured presence in the Northeast's heavy music community. Their music draws on the genre's European roots — epic song lengths, clean anthemic vocals, and layered guitar work — delivered from a city not typically associated with the style.

Modesto, California's Shadowgod have been working traditional heavy metal ground since 2009, carving out a place in the Central Valley underground with a sound rooted in classic riffing and straight-ahead song craft. Their longevity in a region not famous for its metal scene speaks to a genuine commitment to the genre.

Brooklyn's Shadowland emerged in 2014 as a heavy metal act carrying the borough's scrappy underground energy into classically structured riff-driven music. Their approach draws from the foundational vocabulary of American heavy metal, shaped by the dense, competitive musical environment of New York City.

Chicago's ShadowLord have played traditional heavy metal in the Midwest underground since 2011, rooted in the working-class hard rock and metal tradition that runs deep in the city. Their sound leans on chunky riffing and gritty vocals, reflecting a no-frills approach to the genre's core appeal.