Weehawken, New Jersey power metal veterans with two recent releases. The God Particle and The Unknown deliver melodic, triumphant metal from the Hudson River town with the best view of the Manhattan skyline.

Monterey, California power metal project with five releases since 2018, including splits with international acts Ascidie and Persona Non Data. The collaborative approach and feminist-themed Herstory Untold position them at the intersection of power metal and radical politics.

Los Angeles power metal band delivering epic, anthemic heaviness from the City of Angels, channeling European-influenced grandeur through SoCal's metal-saturated scene.

Oshkosh, Wisconsin doom band named after the Alabama city, delivering Southern-fried doom heaviness from the shores of Lake Winnebago with thick, bluesy riffs.

Chapel Hill, North Carolina death metal act from the Research Triangle, bringing extreme metal to a college town better known for indie rock and academic pursuits.

Las Vegas thrash band whose Latin name means 'destroy the earth,' delivering appropriately apocalyptic speed metal from Sin City's underground.

Unionville, Tennessee black metal project. Minimal output from a tiny Middle Tennessee community — rural Southern black metal in its most isolated form.

Grants Pass, Oregon death metal act whose 2017 debut Sanctimonious targets religious hypocrisy through punishing extremity from southern Oregon's Rogue Valley.

Grays Harbor, Washington crossover thrash act with two albums from the late 2000s. Dead Skin/Dried Blood and Napalm & Nitrogen deliver aggressive punk-metal from one of the Pacific Northwest's most remote and economically depressed coastal communities — music born from real hardship.