Austin's Dead Haven have been grinding out death/thrash metal since 2013, fusing the precision of thrash with death metal's visceral extremity in a city better known for its live music than its extreme underground. They're the gritty counterpoint to the capital's polished scene.

Oxnard, California's Dead Heat are a crossover act in the true sense — born from hardcore's aggression and thrash's technical ferocity, they've been carving out their niche in the Ventura County underground since 2016. Fast, loud, and uncompromising.

Houston thrash with a sludgy, punky edge. Cult classics of the late-80s Texas scene.

Tucson, Arizona's Dead Is He combine death metal's brutality with thrash's kinetic precision, channeling the Sonoran Desert's harsh extremes into punishing riff-driven attacks since 2016. There's nothing gentle about the sound or the landscape.

Grants Pass, Oregon's Dead Leslie tear through speed and thrash metal with the stripped-down urgency of a small-town act with something to prove, formed in 2020 in the Rogue Valley's fringes. Fast tempos and sharp riffs are their native language.

Kenosha, Wisconsin's Dead Meat play crossover thrash with the blue-collar conviction of a rust belt act that learned its trade in cramped bars and parking lot shows since 2020. Fast, mean, and built on the bones of classic hardcore and thrash.

Columbia, Missouri's Dead Medusa have been turning death/thrash into something petrifying since 2017, operating out of the Midwest's college-town underground with a sound that bites hard from every angle. The serpentine riffs live up to the mythology.

Salem, Oregon's Dead Nexus grind thrash and death metal together into something relentless and uncompromising, built on high-velocity riffs and punishing rhythms. They hit hard and leave little room to breathe.

Cleveland's Dead of Night pull from melodic death and thrash traditions equally, crafting a sound rooted in classic Rust Belt ferocity with a sharp melodic edge. The city's long history of heavy music finds a worthy continuation in their hands.