Los Angeles band Crowned by Fire draw on Southern-fried riff traditions and stoner metal's slow-burning haze to craft music that feels simultaneously sun-baked and menacing. Thick grooves and a dusty, unhurried swagger define their sound.

Columbus, Ohio's Crowtalker wallow in the slow, heavy interplay between doom and stoner metal, layering fuzz-drenched riffs over plodding rhythms that settle deep into the bones. Their sound favors atmosphere and sustained weight over aggression.

Austin heavy psych/proto-metal. Vintage-sounding riffs with a modern edge.

Three-piece doom and stoner metal band from Denver, Colorado drawing directly from the 1990s American stoner metal playbook of Kyuss, Sleep, and Corrosion of Conformity. Their debut album Summoning (2022) launched a planned trilogy of doom-soaked records rooted in psych-blues riffing.

Suffocating Stoner / Doom Metal / Alternative Rock from Los Angeles, California / El Paso.

Raleigh, North Carolina duo Crystal Spiders play fuzz-drenched stoner doom rooted in heavy 70s riffs and psychedelic atmosphere. Their full-length debut showcases a confident grasp of groove and weight.

Urbana, Illinois stoner metal outfit Crystal Warlock conjure thick, fuzz-saturated riffs and hazy grooves from the flat heartland. Psychedelic tendencies wind through their heavy, slow-burning sound.

Madison, Wisconsin trio Cthonian Lich crawl through a swampy fusion of doom, sludge, and stoner metal, conjuring psychedelic dread from the Midwest. Their riffs move like shifting tectonic plates — slow, heavy, and unstoppable.

Madison, Wisconsin stoner metal band Cuda deal in thick, vintage-toned riffs and laid-back grooves with a muscle car swagger built into every song. Their Midwest take on the genre leans into fuzz and groove in equal measure.