Serpentine Dominion is an American death metal supergroup formed in 2009 by Killswitch Engage lead guitarist Adam Dutkiewicz, Cannibal Corpse vocalist George 'Corpsegrinder' Fisher, and former The Black Dahlia Murder drummer Shannon Lucas. The project originated when Dutkiewicz composed material specifically tailored to Fisher's vocal style, with lyrics written by Killswitch Engage vocalist Jesse Leach. The band released their sole self-titled album in October 2016 through Metal Blade Records, a record that balanced Fisher's brutal death metal delivery with Dutkiewicz's trademark melodic and groove-driven riffing.

Los Angeles' Shepherd brings a melodic sharpness to their thrash-infused death metal, weaving the hooky aggression of melodic death into a sound anchored by California's long history of speed and precision.

Redwood City, California's Short Fuse play melodic death metal with a Bay Area edge — formed in 2017, the band combine Gothenburg-style melodic leads with the technical precision and intensity characteristic of the Northern California extreme underground.

Ocean Beach, California's Silence the Prince work within melodic death metal's characteristic blend of harsh extremity and melodic guitar leads, bringing San Diego's coastal scene sensibility to a genre rooted in Scandinavian influences since 2018.

Los Angeles outfit formed in 2014 who fuse the twin-guitar melodicism of Scandinavian death metal with power metal's soaring sensibility, resulting in music that is both technically demanding and built around hooky, anthemic structures. Their sound draws equally from In Flames-era melodeath and the more grandiose end of American power metal.

Orange County, California melodic death metal band with roots going back to 2004, giving them over two decades in a scene that has seen plenty of turnover. Their melodic death approach is steeped in the Gothenburg tradition, applying it to the sun-baked Southern California underground.

Melodic death metal act from Sacramento, California, formed in 2025, Stars in the Void brings a melodically charged approach to death metal drawing from the Gothenburg tradition.

Hayward, California metalcore and melodic death metal band formed in 2025, State of Reliance blends the hook-driven intensity of metalcore with the melodic riff vocabulary of death metal.

Steven Taylor is a melodic death metal solo project from San Diego, California, formed in 2016. The project channels the guitar-driven melodicism of the Gothenburg tradition into a personal compositional voice, emphasizing lead work and dynamic arrangements.