Cleveland's Montez formed in 2021 and play speed/power metal with the breakneck intensity the genre demands — sharp, melodic, and built on a tradition that the Midwest has quietly sustained since the 1980s.

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.

Oklahoma City's Monument started out in power metal territory before shifting into a more aggressive death/thrash hybrid, reflecting the kind of restless evolution that has defined the band across their existence since 2021.

A melodic power metal outfit from Vancouver, Washington, formed in 2025, delivering the soaring vocals and galloping rhythms that define the European power metal tradition filtered through an American lens.

Epic Symphonic Power Metal from San Benito.

Atlanta's Moonshield have been crafting melodic death metal since 2018, bringing the twin-guitar harmonics and aggressive forward momentum of the Scandinavian MDM tradition to the American South.

Oakland's Morgana work in the post-black metal space, tempering the genre's harshness with expansive, emotionally resonant passages that reflect the Bay Area's experimental underground ethos since 2020. Their music moves between abrasion and melancholy with a fluidity that suits their Arthurian name's associations with mystery and transformation.

Pelham, Massachusetts' Moriah operate at the intersection of progressive, power, and traditional heavy metal, bringing a sophisticated compositional approach to big melodic structures and soaring arrangements since 2016.

Chicago power and speed metal outfit formed in 2014, Moros Nyx deliver fleet-fingered riffs and soaring vocal hooks in the tradition of classic European power metal filtered through an American sensibility. Their sound balances breakneck tempo with melodic accessibility, carving out a distinct niche on the Midwest heavy metal circuit.