Indiana's Clarence Oddbody brings a beefy groove metal sensibility to the rural Midwest, stacking heavy riffs on punishing mid-tempo rhythms. Named for the angel in It's a Wonderful Life, the band's approach is anything but angelic.

Colorado Springs trio Clarion Void inhabit a murky space between black metal, death metal, and sludge, where oppressive atmosphere and dissonant heaviness collide. Their music is dense and suffocating, shaped by the high-altitude bleakness of their Rocky Mountain surroundings.

Vero Beach, FL solo black metal project Claux conjures austere, lo-fi darkness rooted in the rawest traditions of the genre. Stripping the music down to its most primitive and menacing essence, Claux operates well outside the mainstream metal underground.

Kankakee, IL's Clavicus Vile craft intricate, technically demanding death metal with a progressive sensibility, building elaborate arrangements around crushing brutality. Named for the Daedric Prince of trickery, the band's compositions reward close attention with dense layers of compositional craft.

Oakland, MS doom and stoner act Clawhammer pile on the fuzz and drag tempos down to a slow, hypnotic crawl. Their sound is thick with distortion and heavy atmosphere, rooted firmly in the traditions of southern-tinged doom.

Mesa, AZ death metal act Clawhammer Abortion favor blunt, unvarnished brutality with no frills and no apologies. Their approach is direct and merciless, designed to bludgeon rather than impress.

Texas black/death outfit Clawhammer Coven deliver occult-tinged extreme metal rooted in the state's long tradition of underground ferocity. Their material is raw and ritualistic, steeped in darkness and disdain for polish.

Fort Smith, Arkansas heavy metal act Claymore carry on the classic tradition with no-nonsense riffing and a blue-collar approach to the genre. Their sound evokes the no-frills power of American heavy metal's formative years.

US power/heavy metal act Cleanbreak blend melodic hooks with muscular traditional metal structures, drawing from the USPM lineage of bands that valued both force and melody. Cleanly produced and earnest, their music appeals to fans of classic American power metal.