Oakland sludge metal/grindcore/powerviolence band on Youth Attack, channeling war, hate, and anti-humanity themes through abrasive, maximally aggressive music.

Huntington Beach extreme metal collective fusing black metal, death metal, grindcore, and sludge into a chaotic, genre-defying hybrid that resists easy categorization.

Founded by ex-Cattle Decapitation bassist Troy Oftedal, Cave Bastard forge a savage hybrid of death metal, sludge, and hardcore from San Diego with relentless abrasive heaviness.

Cetacean is a Los Angeles, California doom and sludge metal band building massive, slow-moving compositions out of grinding riffs and oppressive low-end heaviness. Their sound evokes the oceanic enormity suggested by their name, blending Southern-inflected sludge with crushing doom.

Sacramento doom and sludge act Chrch are known for slow, colossal heaviness anchored by vocalist Eva Rose's commanding presence. Their 2017 album Unanswered drew wide attention for its emotionally devastating weight.

Roseville, California's Chrome Ghost blends doom, sludge, and post-metal into a slow-burning, psychedelic heavy sound. Their music favors long-form compositions that build tension through layers of distortion and atmospheric dynamics.

Long Beach, California's Cloven deal in funeral doom and sludge metal, building songs around glacially slow tempos and crushing heaviness. Active since 2015, they've released material through Midnite Collective, including their acclaimed full-length Blackened Wings.

Chico, California's Cold Blue Mountain blend sludge and stoner metal into thick, sun-baked dirges, layering languid heaviness with a psychedelic undercurrent that keeps the music expansive and hypnotic.

Los Angeles's Conqueror Worm wade through death doom and crushing sludge, layering suffocating low-end heaviness with the kind of desolate atmosphere that weighs down on the listener like a collapsing structure.