Portland, Maine band Chäpels combine the aggression of crust punk with the dragging weight of sludge metal, creating rough-edged, anarchic noise that hits hard and moves fast. Their sound is raw and confrontational, indebted to both Discharge and Eyehategod.

Chicago death/doom veterans Cianide have been crushing spines since the early 1990s, delivering some of the heaviest and most uncompromising music in the American underground. Their sound — slow, filthy, and utterly determined — has influenced a generation of death metal bands.

Hesperia, California death metal band Cicada Swarm pile on savage riffs and hammering rhythms in the tradition of American brutality. Their sound is straightforward and crushing, built around the kind of riff density that defines underground death metal.

Madison, Wisconsin solo project Cicada the Burrower weaves post-black metal and progressive metal into elaborate, emotionally turbulent compositions that range from serene to overwhelming. The project's releases on Bindrune Recordings have earned widespread underground recognition for their depth and originality.

St. Louis death/thrash outfit Cicatrix blend the punishing velocity of thrash with the heaviness of death metal, delivering razor-sharp riffs and aggressive rhythmic attack. Their sound sits in the classic crossover tradition between the two genres.

Raleigh, North Carolina sludge metal act Cigarettesmokingman drag their songs through thick, tar-slow tempos and corrosive guitar tones that owe as much to southern atmosphere as to extreme metal. Their music feels as worn and relentless as the name suggests.

New Orleans doom/stoner/sludge band Cikada channel the murky, humid atmosphere of their city into sprawling, fuzz-drenched compositions that sit at the intersection of southern sludge and psychedelic doom. Their sound draws naturally from the well of Eyehategod and Crowbar.

Rock Springs, Wyoming black metal project Cimejes conjure bleak, isolated darkness that fits the desolate high plains landscape of their home state. Their recordings favor raw production and grim atmosphere over accessibility.

Lancaster, Pennsylvania folk/heavy metal band Cimmerian draw on ancient mythology and pagan tradition to craft melodic, epic metal with a raw folk undercurrent. Their sound evokes the savage world of the Hyborian Age that inspired their name.