Denver, Colorado outfit MF Ruckus began in 1997 as a three-chord punk band before evolving into a hard rock and heavy metal act with Thin Lizzy and Iron Maiden among their touchstones. Albums including The Dirty Half-Dozen (2013) and Thieves of Thunder (2016) earned the band a loyal regional following and European touring opportunities. Their fourth album The Front Lines of Good Times Vol. I was released in 2023 via Glory or Death Records after the band weathered extensive personal losses and industry setbacks during the pandemic era.

Satan's Satyrs is a doom and heavy metal band from Herndon, Virginia, founded in 2009 by multi-instrumentalist Clayton Burgess while still in high school, blending the downtuned psychedelic weight of Electric Wizard with the aggression of Black Flag. The band gained notable recognition when Electric Wizard championed them and invited Burgess to perform at the 2013 Roadburn Festival, eventually leading to Burgess joining Electric Wizard as bassist. After releasing three LPs—Wild Beyond Belief (2012), Die Screaming (2014), and Don't Deliver Us (2015)—the band disbanded in 2019 before Burgess revived the project with a new lineup in 2023.