San Jose NWOTHM torchbearers forging classic heavy metal with a modern edge. Since 2018 they've delivered two full-lengths of galloping riffs and soaring melodies that honor the tradition while standing firmly in the present, earning them a place in the Bay Area's rich metal lineage.

Northern California sludge crushers operating out of Chico since 2012. Their discography spans splits with European heavyweights like Pyramido and domestic collaborators Enth, building a reputation for punishing low-end devastation. Their 2024 EP Resilience proves they've only gotten heavier with time.

Los Angeles thrash act unleashing reckless energy since 2021. Their debut EP Hybrid Dreams delivers exactly what the name promises — unpolished, savage riffing with zero pretension and maximum velocity.

Devastating Brutal Death Metal / Goregrind out of Texas.

Portland stoner metal crew who dropped their debut Black Dawn in 2012, dealing in the heavy, fuzz-drenched grooves the Pacific Northwest does so well. The album channels the region's grey skies into thick, rolling waves of distortion.

Valparaiso, Indiana progressive metal project weaving intricate compositions with emotional depth. Their two full-lengths — the Spanish-titled Oración and the bleaker Dismal — showcase a band comfortable navigating between technical complexity and raw feeling.

Minneapolis death metal and grindcore hybrid that emerged in 2010 with the Fear & Coercion EP. The band fuses blistering speed with metalcore breakdowns, drawing from the Twin Cities' long tradition of extreme music.

Hillsboro, Illinois melodic death metal project with a remarkably deep catalog for a small-town act. Five releases between 2010 and 2017 trace an evolution from raw melodeath into progressive territory, with album titles that hint at a philosophical bent lurking beneath the dual-guitar harmonies.

Providence doom architects crafting eccentric, lumbering heaviness since 2011. Named after the waxy substance found in whale intestines, their music shares that quality of being simultaneously repulsive and fascinating — albums like Snake Music and Militant Statuettes pair crushing riffs with an art-damaged sensibility unique to Rhode Island's underground.