1931 is a deathcore band from Galloway, Ohio, active since 2013 with three releases totaling 21 tracks. The band incorporates Spanish-language elements — tracks like "Agujero Negro" and "Suburbia" — into their crushing breakdowns and guttural delivery. Their sound reflects the diversity of Ohio's extreme metal underground.

1point3 is a crossover thrash and mathcore band from Columbus, Ohio, active since 2004 with two releases spanning 22 tracks. The band merges the speed of thrash with the angular, technical complexity of mathcore, featuring tracks like "Mask of the Wolf" and "Delirium Tremens." Their long tenure in the Columbus scene speaks to a committed, cult following.

200 Stab Wounds is a death metal band from Cleveland, Ohio, who have rapidly become one of the most talked-about acts in modern American death metal since forming in 2020. With tracks like "Maggot Casket" and "She Was Already Dead," the band delivers filthy, old-school-inspired death metal with a slamming edge. Signed to Metal Blade Records, they have brought Cleveland's brutal death metal scene to international attention.

21 Acts of Manslaughter is a grindcore act from Eustace, Texas, releasing an eight-track blast in 2020 that includes covers of Celtic Frost's "Procreation of the Wicked" and Sepultura's "Troops of Doom." The choice of covers reveals a reverence for extreme metal's founding fathers alongside their own bursts of grinding fury. The band represents the unlikely but enduring presence of grindcore in rural East Texas.

New Hampshire death metal project. Crude, direct, and unapologetically abrasive — Granite State extremity that doesn't waste time on subtlety.

Stockton, California thrash metal project channeling the Central Valley's rough-edged energy through round-the-clock violence. The name promises 24 hours of gore — no breaks.

Phillipsburg, New Jersey progressive metal project. The numerical name evokes a futuristic year, suggesting sci-fi-influenced prog from the Delaware River border town.

East Meadow, Long Island NWOTHM project. The military-mission name pairs with Long Island's suburban setting for classic heavy metal with a sense of duty.

3 is an American progressive rock and metal band formed in Woodstock, New York in 1994 by guitarist and vocalist Joey Eppard, his brother Josh Eppard on drums, and bassist Chris Bittner. The band built a reputation through intensive touring, including dates supporting Porcupine Tree, and signed with Metal Blade Records, releasing The End Is Begun in 2007 and The Ghost You Gave to Me in 2011. Their music blends melodic hard rock with progressive architecture and introspective lyricism, placing them alongside acts like Coheed and Cambria in the American progressive rock underground.