St. Louis progressive thrash act whose 2023 album Relax Amongst The Lotus Flowers blends technical riffing with contemplative songwriting. The title suggests a band that has found peace within the chaos of extreme music, channeling the Gateway City's crossroads energy.

Huntsville progressive metal project from the Arkansas underground.

Savage Melodic / Progressive Death Metal / Grindcore from Brownsville.

Technical Progressive Metal / Deathcore from Houston, Texas (early); Louisville, Kentucky (later).

West Palm Beach death metal and deathcore hybrid with progressive ambitions. Their 2012 full-length The Seven Sounds weaves technical complexity through crushing heaviness, emerging from South Florida's deep well of extreme talent.

Florence, Alabama progressive metal project with a logician's sense of humor. Three EPs since 2022 — including the pun-laden 4Play and the computer science-referencing Logic Gates — pair technical musicianship with a playful intelligence rare in heavy music.

Los Angeles heavy metal / nwothm project from the California underground.

Nyack, New York melodic death metal and progressive project whose 2020 EP Three Songs teams with producer brwnsounds for a polished take on technical extreme metal. The suburban Hudson Valley setting belies the sophistication of their approach.

Point Pleasant, West Virginia progressive metal project active since 2013. Their self-titled debut and a Joy Division cover reveal a band with eclectic taste, operating from the small Appalachian town made famous by the Mothman legend.