Coming out of the Norwalk/Whittier corridor in Los Angeles County, TerrorStorm have been running their black/thrash/speed metal assault since 2015, part of a thriving Southern California scene that has never stopped producing bands with this much raw velocity. They play with the reckless momentum of old Sodom and Bathory translated through the LA underground's obsession with analog aggression and total sonic attack.

San Francisco's Trauma draw from the city's storied metal heritage, reviving the power and speed metal traditions of the Bay Area with anthemic riffs and a high-octane approach that recalls the scene's 1980s heyday.

Santa Rosa, California speed and thrash metal band that has been at it since 2016, leaning into the tighter, faster end of the thrash spectrum with a nod to first-wave speed metal ferocity. A decade-long presence in the Bay Area's underground metal circuit.

Oakland speed metal act Trencher have been forging their craft since 2004, drawing from the Bay Area's long tradition of fast, riff-forward metal with a lean and no-frills delivery. Their longevity in an unforgiving scene speaks to a dedication to the pure mechanics of the style.

Tyrant is a Los Angeles, California speed and thrash metal band formed in 2018, channeling the kinetic aggression and razor-edged riffing of early thrash and speed metal into a high-octane assault.