Indianapolis speed/thrash act CounterClockwise channel classic 80s metal energy with high-velocity riffs and no-nonsense aggression. Their sound is rooted in the purist tradition of bands like Exodus and Overkill.

San Francisco black metal act Countess Erzsebet take their name from the infamous Hungarian noblewoman and channel that dark history into cold, bleak compositions. Their music sits in the raw and ritualistic end of the American black metal underground.

Lacey, Washington's Countless the Dead play melodic death metal with an emphasis on layered guitar harmonies and driving rhythms. They pull from the Gothenburg playbook while injecting Pacific Northwest grit into the formula.

Reno band Countress occupy an unusual space between metalcore and stoner metal, mixing heavy downtuned groove with the hooky structures of melodic metalcore. The combination gives their sound a hazy, desert-road quality.

Austin's County Hell splice black metal fury with crust punk nihilism and death metal weight, playing music that sounds like it was made outdoors and after dark. They're part of Austin's active extreme underground and bring a raw, combative energy to every release.

Endicott, New York brutal death metal outfit Course of Extinction deal in relentless blast-beat-driven carnage with no interest in melody or restraint. Their music exists to overwhelm, built for devotees of the most uncompromising end of the death metal spectrum.

Baltimore heavy metal band Court Jester play in the traditional mold — riff-driven songs, clean vocals, and a commitment to the classic structures that defined the genre in the 1980s. Their music is unpretentious and direct, made for fans of the form's roots.

Wisconsin doom metal act Court of Beasts play slow and heavy with a gothic undertone, building long-form compositions around crushing low-tuned riffs and atmosphere. Their Neenah home in the industrial Great Lakes region feeds the bleakness of their sound.

San Antonio's Courting Baphomet blend melodic death metal leads with straightforward death metal brutality, drawing on occult imagery to frame their music's dark ambitions. They're one of the more active bands in San Antonio's underground metal scene.