Ashburn sludge metal project from the Virginia underground.

Chicago sludge metal duo dealing in literary-tinged heaviness since 2015. Their single titles — Things Have Learnt to Walk That Ought to Crawl and Vincent — hint at a band drawing from horror literature and dark art as much as the sludge metal playbook.

Bloomington sludge metal project from the Illinois underground.

Lansing sludge metal project from the Michigan underground.

Columbus death metal project from the Ohio underground.

Austin sludge metal outfit whose 2012 EP Titan delivers monolithic heaviness befitting its mythological title. A contribution to Austin's diverse heavy music scene that extends well beyond the city's reputation for psych rock.

Denton, Texas sludge metal outfit delivering raw, heavy grooves since 2018. Their EPs capture the dense, abrasive sound of North Texas sludge with an unflinching directness that matches the college town's DIY punk ethos.

Boston sludge metal project from the Massachusetts underground.

Battle Creek death metal project from the Michigan underground.

Valdese, North Carolina sludge metal project whose releases Arctic Noise and Andromedas Colossus span from frigid isolation to cosmic scale. Foothills Appalachia proving unexpectedly fertile ground for experimental sludge.

Kansas City sludge metal project from the Missouri underground.

Knoxville sludge metal project channeling East Tennessee mountain isolation into crushing heaviness.

Grants Pass, Oregon death metal project whose 2019 self-titled EP delivers extremity from southern Oregon's Rogue Valley. Named after wingless insects, their music stays grounded in earthbound heaviness.

Chicago sludge metal project active since 2010. Three releases including the simply titled I and the later Purgative deliver thick, punishing heaviness that channels the Midwest's industrial landscape into music built for endurance.

Nashville sludge unit that layers thick, tar-coated riffs with Southern grit, channeling the swamp-heavy murk of Tennessee's underground into punishing, slow-burn heaviness.