Cincinnati heavy metal project whose 2020 single 2 Nights delivers straightforward NWOTHM energy from the Queen City. No pretension, just classic metal built on riffs and attitude.

Lansing sludge metal project from the Michigan underground.

Maple Grove, Minnesota death metal project. The vigilante-justice name channels righteous fury.

Norwich, Connecticut death metal project with one of the most absurdist names in the underground.

California NWOTHM project whose 2015 singles collection The Great Attraction channels Orwellian themes through traditional heavy metal. A dystopian lens on the genre's escapist traditions.

Nashville deathcore project from the Tennessee underground.

Tosin Abasi's Animals As Leaders redefined what instrumental metal could be when the project launched from Washington, D.C. in 2007. Fusing djent, progressive metal, and jazz fusion through Abasi's revolutionary eight-string guitar technique, albums like 'The Joy of Motion' and 'Parrhesia' pushed technical boundaries while remaining genuinely musical. Alongside guitarist Javier Reyes and drummer Matt Garstka, the trio has become the gold standard for modern progressive instrumental metal.

New York City grindcore project. The inverted nature documentary name captures grind's misanthropic worldview.

Winchester, Virginia thrash metal act releasing singles since 2016. Dirt Road Chronicles and Hustle Tactics pair rural Shenandoah Valley grit with thrash metal velocity — a distinctly Appalachian take on the genre.