Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania metalcore band formed in 2020, delivering the aggressive riffing, dynamic song structures, and throat-shredding vocals that characterize the modern metalcore scene. Their Pittsburgh roots situate them within a region with a strong tradition of hard-hitting heavy music.

Utah death metal project formed in 2021, excavating the bleaker end of the genre with an emphasis on crushing low-end and the kind of punishing tempo shifts that make death metal physically compelling. A newer act building a catalog in a state with a small but serious underground metal scene.

Seattle atmospheric black metal band formed in 2024, drawing on the region's deep roots in ambient and post-metal to craft expansive, texture-driven black metal that prioritizes atmosphere over pure aggression. One of the newer additions to a Pacific Northwest underground long hospitable to the atmospheric end of the black metal spectrum.

Houston, Texas thrash and heavy metal band formed in 2019, channeling classic metal aggression through a sound rooted in the hard-hitting riff traditions of both genres. Houston's active metal underground gives The Scourge a scene to sharpen their material against, and their approach makes no apologies for its old-school orientation.

Eugene, Oregon atmospheric black metal act founded in 2015, crafting expansive, wind-swept compositions that carry the Pacific Northwest's natural bleakness into the genre's most ambient corners. Their decade-long run places them among the more established practitioners of atmospheric black metal in the Oregon underground.

Wichita, Kansas sludge metal outfit active since 2012, pouring out thick, tar-slow riffs and a suffocating low-end that commands patience from the listener in exchange for genuine weight. Wichita's isolation from major metal centers seems to have only concentrated their sound.

Peoria, Illinois metalcore band with roots going back to 2006, one of the longer-running acts in a Midwest metalcore scene that has produced consistently hard-working bands far from the coasts. Their extended tenure in the subgenre reflects a commitment to the aggressive, dynamic songwriting at metalcore's core.

Seattle doom metal band formed in 2014, occupying the slower, noisier edge where doom metal bleeds into noise rock — a corner of the sound that feels appropriate given Seattle's long history with both heavy and abrasive music. Their material is dissonant and unhurried.

Technical Progressive Metal out of Texas.