Circle of Animals formed in Chicago around 2010 as a collaborative industrial metal project between Sanford Parker (Minsk, Nachtmystium) and Bruce Lamont (Yakuza), explicitly conceived as a tribute to the late-1980s and early-1990s Wax Trax! industrial scene. The project operates with a rotating cast of guest drummers, including Steve Shelley, Dave Witte, and John Herndon, while Parker and Lamont handle all other instrumentation. Their debut album Destroy the Light was released on Relapse Records in 2010.

Denver pagan/black metal outfit Circle of Beings weave nature worship and ancient mythology into atmospheric, melodic black metal compositions. Their sound draws on European pagan metal traditions while reflecting the vast landscapes of the American West.

Pennsylvania brutal death/grind veterans Circle of Dead Children have been one of the most extreme and uncompromising acts in American underground metal since the mid-1990s. Their hyper-blasting, caustic assault blurs the line between brutal death metal and grindcore with relentless ferocity.

Denver death/grind band Circle of Defeat deliver short, explosive blasts of grindcore-informed brutality that tear through songs in under two minutes. Their approach is no-frills and merciless, with the intensity of both genres concentrated into compact, devastating form.

Paulsboro, New Jersey death metal act Circle of Fear lean into the punishing, riff-focused side of the genre with a straightforward, aggressive approach. Their music is rooted in the American death metal underground tradition.

Los Angeles progressive/doom metal outfit Circle of Sighs build lengthy, emotionally complex compositions that move through shifting dynamics and melancholic atmosphere. Their sound blends the heaviness of doom with the ambitious structure of progressive metal.

Wisconsin black metal act Circle of Wolves pursue a raw, cold sound rooted in second-wave tradition and midwestern isolation. Their recordings carry the grim, unadorned atmosphere that defines the American black metal underground.

Razor-sharp Crossover / Hardcore / Thrash Metal out of Texas.

New Orleans trio Circling Vultvre conjures a suffocating blend of black, death, and doom metal steeped in Southern Gothic dread. Their music circles decay and darkness with relentless, unhurried menace.