Lizzy Borden is a Los Angeles heavy metal band formed in 1983 by vocalist Gregory Charles Harges, who performs and records under the band's name, and drummer Joey Scott. Rooted in the shock rock theatrics of Alice Cooper and Kiss, the band signed to Metal Blade Records in 1984 and released a string of albums through the late 1980s, reaching their commercial peak with Visual Lies (1987). After a prolonged hiatus, Lizzy Borden returned with My Midnight Things (2018), their first album in eleven years, which charted on the Billboard 200.

South San Francisco's Lokheira arrived in 2023 with a power metal sound built on soaring vocals, galloping rhythms, and the wide-open ambition of the Bay Area's metal tradition.

Paso Robles, California's Militant Civilian formed in 2023 and play thrash and power metal with a directness that feels bred from working-class frustration rather than genre exercise. The combination of thrash's aggression with power metal's anthemic lift gives the band a sound that hits hard and aims high at the same time.

San Francisco's MindZone launched in 2020 drawing on three distinct Bay Area traditions — the groove-heavy stomp of groove metal, the soaring hooks of power metal, and the relentless drive of thrash — weaving them into a dense, dynamic attack.

Named for the vengeful narrator of Poe's 'The Cask of Amontillado,' Irvine's Montresor have been delivering heavy and power metal since 2011 — ambitious, melodic, and steeped in classic metal storytelling from Southern California.

Oakland's Morgana work in the post-black metal space, tempering the genre's harshness with expansive, emotionally resonant passages that reflect the Bay Area's experimental underground ethos since 2020. Their music moves between abrasion and melancholy with a fluidity that suits their Arthurian name's associations with mystery and transformation.

Corona, California's Mourning Star specialize in epic doom metal of the grand, theatrical variety — slow-burning compositions built on massive riffs, dramatic pacing, and a sense of ancient, mythic weight.

San Diego's Nightshadow deals in soaring power metal forged from equal parts melodic ambition and metallic precision, drawing on the European tradition while maintaining a West Coast drive since their 2021 formation. Their sweeping riffs and sky-reaching vocal hooks make them a compelling entrant in California's growing power metal underground.

Los Angeles's NovaReign emerged in 2018 at the crossroads of European-influenced power metal and progressive metal's technical ambition, bringing soaring melodies and intricate arrangements to a scene not always known for that style. Their songwriting keeps the spectacle of power metal intact while the progressive elements add depth and unpredictability to tracks that reward repeated listening.