Philadelphia's Varials deal in a suffocating strain of metallic hardcore that draws equally from beatdown and death metal, punctuated by crushing low-tuned breakdowns and vocalist Travis Tabron's venomous delivery. Albums like 'Pain Again' and 'In Darkness' showcase a band unafraid to push heaviness to its most oppressive extremes.

VCTMS are an Illinois metalcore band whose music is built around groove, breakdown pressure, and an atmosphere of emotional damage. Emerging in the 2010s heavy scene, the group developed a catalog through the Vol. series and later releases that combine nu-metal bounce, metallic hardcore impact, depressive lyric themes, and abrupt rhythmic shifts. Rather than chasing glossy arena metalcore, VCTMS often keep their sound claustrophobic, with harsh vocals, downtuned guitars, samples, and percussion arranged to feel anxious and unstable. Songs such as "Sick // Tired," "Hell Is Other People," "Carefully // Caged," and "The Words I Never Said" show the band's preference for blunt catharsis over technical display. Their scope is directly metal and metalcore, with enough alternative-metal and nu-metal influence to make the songs feel contemporary rather than strictly old-school hardcore. VCTMS' appeal lies in mood as much as riffing. The music sounds worn down, angry, and confrontational, built for listeners who want heavy music to acknowledge panic, resentment, and isolation without smoothing the edges.

Vended are a Des Moines, Iowa metal band formed in 2018, bringing a new-generation version of nu metal and metalcore out of a city already deeply associated with modern heavy music. Fronted by Griffin Taylor and featuring drummer Simon Crahan, the group inevitably attracted attention because of family connections to Slipknot, but the band has worked to establish its own identity through touring, aggressive singles, and a self-titled debut album. Their sound favors downtuned riffs, shouted and screamed vocals, percussive grooves, sudden tempo shifts, and lyrics centered on anger, mental strain, betrayal, and survival. Vended's music is not subtle, but subtlety is not the goal. The point is impact: riffs that land hard, vocals that feel physically pushed, and arrangements that aim for live-room release. The band's strongest material comes when the nu metal bounce and metalcore attack reinforce each other instead of competing, giving the songs both movement and punishment. Vended represent a younger wave of American metal that treats the sounds of the late 1990s and 2000s as raw material rather than nostalgia. They are still a developing band, but their appeal comes from force, urgency, and a willingness to be judged on volume.