Naperville, Illinois's Ghost of Mendea have been sharpening their melodic death and black metal hybrid since 2013, weaving icy tremolo riffs through melodic leads that hint at darker, more mythological subject matter than the Chicago suburbs might suggest.

Boston's Give Zombies the Vote merge melodic death metal's harmonic sophistication with metalcore's rhythmic aggression and a name that's equal parts political provocation and horror camp. Active since 2012, they make technically ambitious music that never forgets to be fun.

Santa Fe's Gods of War balance melodic hooks against death metal's heavier instincts, threading cinematic lead work through the kind of rhythmic punishment the genre demands. Active since 2009, they've carved a distinctive niche in the New Mexico scene.

Illinois's Gravelord channel melodic death metal's twin obsessions with heaviness and melody into a sound built for both the head and the gut. Their 2015 formation places them in a long tradition of Midwestern melodeath acts who wear their Scandinavian influences without apology.

Houston's Gravitias launched in 2025 at the aggressive crossroads of melodic death metal and metalcore, where soaring leads collide with crushing breakdown architecture. Still new to the Texas scene, they arrive with the technical weight their name promises.

Named after a demon of transformation, Long Island's Haagenti began with melodic death metal roots before evolving into a heavier, more unrelenting death metal sound over their decade-plus existence. Their trajectory mirrors the demonic namesake — a gradual, deliberate shift into something darker.

Salt Lake City's Hagraven channels the rowdy spirit of black 'n' roll — black metal's blackened edge colliding with hard rock swagger — since their 2023 formation. Against Utah's austere backdrop, they're a wild anomaly.

Santa Rosa, California's Haig Ozanian is both a solo project and a melodic death metal statement, active since 2022 and drawing on the Scandinavian-influenced style's melodic sensibility to craft songs that balance aggression with memorable hooks.

Reno's Half a Tusk sharpen melodic death metal into something more technical and angular, blending hook-forward songwriting with demanding guitar work since 2013. They're one of Nevada's more distinctive extreme metal acts.