Bowling Green, Ohio heavy metal band active since 2016, rooted in traditional heavy metal with an emphasis on direct, no-frills power riffing. Sledge represent the working-class Midwest metal aesthetic — straightforward, heavy, and unapologetic.

Vicious Thrash / Power Metal from San Antonio.

New York doom/stoner metal band formed in 2018, steeped in the heavy, psychedelic riff traditions that run from Black Sabbath through generations of slow and heavy music. Sleeping Village prioritize atmosphere and tonal depth, crafting music that moves at the pace of continents drifting.

Portland, Oregon's Sleepless deal in technical thrash metal with a forward-thinking edge, channeling the precision-minded aggression that has defined the Pacific Northwest underground since their 2016 formation. Their material leans into tight riffwork and relentless tempo shifts, placing them firmly in the more demanding corner of the thrash spectrum.

San Diego's Sleepy Hollow are a long-running thrash metal act with roots stretching back to 1992, giving them over three decades of aggression in the Southern California scene. Their sound carries the no-frills directness of old-school Bay Area-influenced thrash, sharpened by years of live experience.

Rochester's Slikk Wikked mix the swagger of classic heavy metal with the punch of thrash, delivering a sound that nods to the harder-rocking end of both traditions since their 2016 start. Their hybrid approach keeps the energy high while leaving room for the melodic instincts that separate heavy metal from pure aggression.

Woonsocket, Rhode Island groove and thrash metal band formed in 2015, combining the propulsive mid-tempo chug of groove metal with the riff-driven aggression of classic thrash.

Milwaukee band formed in 2016 fusing death, thrash, and groove metal into a hard-hitting hybrid that reflects the Midwest's long tradition of no-frills, riff-driven heaviness.

New Orleans sludge metal band formed in 2012, operating squarely within the city's storied tradition of swampy, slow-burning heaviness pioneered by acts like Eyehategod and Crowbar.

Smash Potater is a crossover thrash band from Aurora, Illinois, formed in 2011, combining the speed and aggression of thrash metal with the punk-driven rawness of crossover in a deliberately irreverent package.

Smaug is a Colorado Springs heavy metal band formed in 2020, blending doom-laden tempos with thrash metal punch and classic heavy metal structure, named after the legendary dragon of Tolkien's Middle-earth.

Formed in 2017 in Clifton, New Jersey, Snag tears through crossover thrash and death metal with a raw, pit-ready sound indebted equally to D.R.I. and early Morbid Angel.

Named after the iconic John Carpenter antihero, this Moberly, Missouri band formed in 2017 and plays groove-inflected crossover thrash with a streetwise, pit-tested energy.

San Antonio, Texas thrash and crossover band formed in 2014, delivering hard-charging riffs and a raw intensity consistent with the city's long-running extreme metal tradition.

Bayonne, New Jersey speed and power metal band formed in 2009, evolving from classic heavy metal roots toward a harder-hitting thrash and speed metal sound over their career.