40 Grit was an alternative and nu metal band formed in Concord, California in 1996, releasing their debut album Heads in 2000. The band balanced downtuned, Korn-influenced riffing with melodic vocals, occupying the heavier end of the late-1990s alt-metal spectrum. They released material through Metal Blade Records before disbanding in 2004.

Adema is an American nu metal band formed in Bakersfield, California in 2000, featuring vocalist Mark Chavez, who is the half-brother of Korn's Jonathan Davis. The band signed to Arista Records and achieved mainstream visibility with their self-titled debut in 2001, driven by the singles "Giving In" and "The Way You Like It," followed by Unstable in 2003. Despite significant lineup instability throughout their career, they remained active with intermittent activity into the 2010s.

Pleasant Hill, California's Concealed meld groove metal's mid-tempo swagger with nu metal's heavy atmosphere and occasional thrash bite, landing in the aggressive pocket of late-90s Bay Area heaviness.

Sacramento's Dementia started out in the stoner and heavy metal tradition before pivoting toward nu-metal as their sound evolved over the years. Formed in 2013, they represent the California underground's tendency to absorb and recombine influences across metal's many stylistic eras.

A brand-new act out of Berkeley, Early Demise formed in 2025 at the meeting point of groove metal's chug and nu-metal's attitude, bringing the Bay Area's characteristic edge to a revival-minded heaviness.

Otep was a Los Angeles nu-metal and alternative metal band formed in November 2000, led throughout its existence by vocalist and poet Otep Shamaya. After being selected by Sharon Osbourne for Ozzfest 2001 and signed to Capitol Records without a demo, the band released two Capitol albums — Sevas Tra (2002) and House of Secrets (2004) — followed by five more through Victory Records and Napalm Records, with the final album The God Slayer appearing in 2023 via Cleopatra Records. Shamaya announced her retirement from music in November 2024, ending the band after a twenty-four-year run.

Shortie was a nu metal and alternative metal band from Sacramento, California, formed in 1998 and signed to Earache Records. The band released two studio albums—Watching You Drown and Wipe Your Eyes—during the peak years of the nu metal era before disbanding in 2006. They remained a fixture of the underground California nu metal scene without achieving significant mainstream commercial traction.

Sacramento's Skribble began in 2000 at the height of nu-metal's commercial peak, blending those chunky, down-tuned grooves with death metal's aggression — a trajectory that saw the band shed the radio-friendly angles in favor of darker, heavier material over the years.

Los Angeles band formed in 2003 that began as a provocative nu-metal act before evolving toward heavier stoner and hard rock territory, known for theatrical stage performances and confrontational imagery.