Ruthless Folk / Melodic Death Metal from Plano.

Venomous Black Metal from Austin.

FEVER 333 formed in Inglewood, California in 2017, founded by ex-Letlive vocalist Jason Aalon Butler alongside guitarist Stephen Harrison (the Chariot) and drummer Aric Improta (Night Verses), performing their first show in a U-Haul truck in a donut shop parking lot on July 4th. The band's sound merges rap metal, post-hardcore, and political punk in the tradition of Rage Against the Machine, addressing racism, systemic violence, and social inequality with pointed directness on their debut EP Made an America (2018) and full-length Strength in Numb333rs (2019). Both Harrison and Improta departed in 2022, and Butler rebuilt the band with a new lineup — including former The Mars Volta drummer Thomas Pridgen — releasing the second album Darker White in 2024.

Technical Progressive Metal from Austin, Texas (early); Champaign/Chicago, Illinois (later).

Fifth Angel formed in the Bellevue suburb of Seattle, Washington in 1983 and emerged as a key early act in the Northwest heavy metal scene alongside Queensrÿche and Metal Church. Their self-titled debut album (1986), produced by Terry Date on Shrapnel Records, showcased a high-energy style rooted in Iron Maiden and Judas Priest, and the more polished Time Will Tell (1989) on Epic Records — produced by Rush collaborator Terry Brown — brought wider exposure. After a lengthy hiatus, the band reformed and released The Third Secret (2018) on Nuclear Blast, followed by the concept album When Angels Kill (2023).

Filter is the industrial rock project of Richard Patrick, former touring guitarist for Nine Inch Nails, launched from Cleveland, Ohio in 1993. The debut 'Short Bus' spawned the massive hit 'Hey Man Nice Shot,' one of the most iconic songs of the '90s industrial rock movement. Patrick's ability to blend electronic textures, heavy guitar distortion, and emotionally raw vocals across albums like 'Title of Record' kept Filter relevant through multiple waves of alternative rock.

Brutal Brutal Deathcore out of Texas.

Ferocious Progressive Death / Thrash Metal from Houston.

Final Gasp is a Boston, Massachusetts band formed around 2019 that draws equally from 1980s deathrock, post-punk, gothic atmospheres, and hardcore punk, channeling reference points including Samhain and Killing Joke into a consistently dark and propulsive sound. Their debut album Mourning Moon (2023) concentrated those influences into a direct deathrock statement, while the Relapse Records follow-up New Day Symptoms (2026) expanded the palette with heavier guitar tones and broader structural range. Fronted by vocalist and guitarist Jake Murphy, the band is part of a broader contemporary wave reintroducing gothic punk sonics to extreme underground music audiences.