Toledo, Ohio melodic death metal act with two full-lengths since 2020. ACROSS THE AEONS and Eternity's End deliver ambitious, cosmically scaled melodeath that punches well above the typical underground weight class from the Glass City.

West Des Moines, Iowa black metal project whose 2016 EP From the Depths of the Dark Fortress channels dungeon-synth aesthetics through black metal from the Des Moines suburbs. Midwestern isolation transformed into medieval darkness.

Lexington, Kentucky folk metal act blending traditional folk instrumentation with metallic heft, adding a unique flavor to the Bluegrass State's growing heavy music community.

Arizona/Texas death metal project spanning the Southwest, drawing from both states' scorching landscapes to fuel desert-baked extremity.

Plainview, Texas melodic death metal project — one of the few metal acts from the West Texas plains. Three releases since 2017 including Sanguinarium and Of Vacant Planes draw metaphorical power from the vast, empty landscape stretching to the horizon.

Springfield, Missouri stoner metal act riding retro-futuristic grooves from the Ozarks, blending space-rock psychedelia with heavy doom-laden riffs.

Liberty, North Carolina stoner metal band whose name tells you everything you need to know — fuzzy, smoke-heavy grooves from the Piedmont Triad region.

Groveland, Massachusetts post-metal innovators whose self-titled 2019 album and earlier November EP blend shoegaze beauty with metal's power. Their ethereal approach has earned critical acclaim and a devoted following beyond the typical metal underground.

Southern California progressive metal project with eight releases spanning 2002 to present. One of the longest-running acts in this catalog, their two-decade discography including Dematerialised Passenger traces an arc of cosmic prog ambition from the birthplace of West Coast metal.