Bewitcher are a black metal and speed metal trio from Portland, Oregon, formed in 2013, whose sound combines the raw energy of first-wave black metal with the sleazy momentum of late-1970s speed metal and hard rock. Their self-titled debut appeared in 2016, followed by Under the Witching Cross, Cursed Be Thy Kingdom, and Spell Shock, with the band signing to Century Media Records as their reach expanded. Their music is deliberately lo-fi in spirit while retaining enough clarity to highlight the interplay between riff-based song structures and aggressive delivery.

Ferocious Speed / Thrash Metal out of Texas.

Black Speed from the Cemeteries of Texas. Influences: Motorhead, Venom, Bathory, early Slayer, Celtic Frost. On Goat Throne Records.

Columbus, Ohio thrash/speed metal band that formed in 1997 and has since split up, representing the no-frills aggression of the Ohio metal underground.

Fort Myers, Florida death metal act that formed around 2009 and later split up, operating without a label.

Virginia doom metal outfit trudging through slow, heavy territory since the late 1990s, carrying on the tradition of funeral-paced riffing and desolate atmospherics.

Elgin speed and thrash metal band formed in 1990, operating in the fast-and-furious tradition of Midwest metal with razor-edged riffs and the breakneck energy of classic speed metal.

Sacramento act blending technical death metal with progressive structures and thrash-driven aggression, channeling complex rhythmic shifts into a sound that feels both cerebral and visceral.

Salt Lake City's Castleaxe play high-octane speed metal with a traditional heavy metal heart, built on twin guitar harmonies, galloping rhythms, and an unapologetically retro sensibility.