A California heavy metal act formed in 2016, Torcher works within the traditional heavy metal idiom with a straightforwardness that lets the riffs speak for themselves. Though the city is unspecified, their Bandcamp presence reflects a solo or small project shaped by classic influences and operating without pretension.

Los Angeles heavy metal outfit Total Eclipse draw from the deep well of Southern California's traditional metal scene, favoring no-frills riff-driven songwriting in the tradition of the city's storied underground.

Los Angeles veterans Tourniquet have been delivering a unique brand of Christian thrash and heavy metal since 1990, blending technically demanding riffwork with unconventional time signatures and lyrics rooted in faith and moral philosophy, making them one of the most distinctive acts in the Christian metal world.

Baywood-Los Osos, California's Toxikith have been operating since 2012 at the intersection of classic heavy metal and thrash, favoring the melodic hooks and galloping riffs of the early-to-mid '80s over modern extremity.

A heavy and power metal outfit from San Mateo, California, Tramontane bring a classic European flavor to the Bay Area scene — soaring vocals, twin guitar harmonies, and a knack for epic song structures rooted in the NWOBHM tradition.

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Riverside, California's Trapmaker play straight-ahead heavy metal with a no-frills approach rooted in the classic American tradition, forming in 2017 and building a steady presence in the Inland Empire scene.

Santa Cruz, California's Traveler are devoted practitioners of traditional heavy metal, formed in 2018 with a clear passion for the melodic power and galloping riff structures of the genre's classic era.