Explore California Metal
Featured Album
Necromanteum (2023)
Featured Black Metal Album
Vertigo (Sunbather: 10th Anniversary Remix / Remaster) (2023)
Featured Artist with an Upcoming Show
Featured Power Metal Album
We Three Kings (Metal Holiday) (2015)
Featured Artist with an Upcoming Show
Browse California Metal Bands
217 bands found
San Francisco's Golgatha have been carrying the torch for traditional heavy metal since 2005, with an approach rooted in the genre's classic era — riffs built to last, vocals that soar, and an unshakable reverence for the form.
Long Beach's GraveDanger deal in straightforward heavy metal with a feel for classic songcraft and riff-forward energy. Since 2013 they've kept the traditional flame lit in Southern California, uninterested in chasing trends.
Santa Clara's Halloween play heavy metal with hard rock instincts — melodic, energetic, and rooted in the kind of song-first approach that made the genre commercially viable in the first place. A Bay Area act keeping the classic sound alive since 2015.
Santa Cruz County's HammerDown fuse heavy metal and hard rock with the laid-back coastal defiance only Northern California can produce, active since 2019 and built around thick riffs and road-tested grooves.
Ventura County, California's Hammered traffic in straight-up heavy metal with no frills and no apologies — the kind of band that reminds you why the genre thrived in suburban garages before arenas ever came calling. Active since 2019.
Named for the four-armed Mortal Kombat villain, this San Francisco outfit emerged in 2024 swinging old-school heavy metal with a playful nod to the genre's pulpy, monstrous roots.
San Francisco's Hard Driver have been trafficking in traditional heavy metal since 2017, a city that once defined the genre's most extreme edges now home to a band with its eye firmly on the classic sound.
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California Metal Index indexes hundreds of California heavy metal bands across every subgenre — death metal, black metal, thrash metal, doom metal, metalcore, hardcore punk, grindcore, sludge, stoner metal, and more. Browse heavy metal bands by genre, city, or state.
Yes — browse California death metal bands in our index. Filter by genre to find death metal, technical death metal, and melodic death metal bands. We also index black metal, thrash metal, doom metal, and all heavy metal bands.
Use the genre filter to browse California black metal bands. We index black metal, atmospheric black metal, and related subgenres alongside death metal, thrash metal, doom metal, and all heavy metal bands.
Browse our index for California thrash metal bands. Filter by genre to discover thrash metal, crossover thrash, and speed metal bands. Our index covers all heavy metal bands including death metal, black metal, doom, and metalcore.
Yes — we index metalcore bands, doom metal bands, and every heavy metal subgenre. Browse California metalcore, doom metal, sludge metal, stoner metal, progressive metal, power metal, and more.
Yes — browse California hardcore punk bands alongside heavy metal bands. We cover hardcore punk, crust punk, D-beat, grindcore, metalcore, and all heavy music subgenres.
Filter by city and state to find heavy metal bands near you. Each band page includes streaming links, genre tags, and upcoming metal concerts. Discover death metal, black metal, thrash, doom, and all heavy metal bands in your area.
Visit our shows page for California metal concerts — death metal shows, black metal concerts, thrash metal shows, doom concerts, and all heavy metal events. Updated daily with ticket links from Ticketmaster and SeatGeek.
California Metal Index is an index of California heavy metal bands — death metal, black metal, thrash metal, doom metal, metalcore, hardcore punk, and all heavy music. Browse bands by genre, find metal concerts near you, and discover the California metal scene.