A Portrait of Flesh and Blood is a symphonic and depressive black metal project from Los Angeles, California. Their 2015 full-length "The Pale Enchantress" weaves orchestral grandeur with raw black metal despair across seven tracks of atmospheric extremity.

Los Angeles symphonic metal project whose Latin name means 'from eternity.' Orchestral grandeur and heavy metal from Hollywood's back yard.

Los Angeles symphonic metal project crafting cinematic heavy music since 2020. Their singles Illusion and Tales Untold pair orchestral grandeur with metal power, channeling Hollywood's epic sensibility into something genuinely heavy.

Oakland grindcore outfit whose 2011 self-titled EP delivers rapid-fire aggression from the East Bay. Part of the Bay Area's long tradition of politically charged, musically ferocious extreme punk-metal.

Los Angeles symphonic metal project from the California underground.

Cathar is a California black metal project rooted in the raw, minimalist tradition — sparse arrangements, cold tremolo riffing, and a misanthropic atmosphere informed by orthodox underground aesthetics. The Palmdale origins contribute a desolate, high-desert bleakness to the music.

Redwood City's Crepuscle blend melodic death metal's harmonic sophistication with symphonic orchestration and an underlying death metal brutality. The Bay Area band crafts expansive, dramatic metal that balances heaviness with melody.

Symphonic black metal band from South Lake Tahoe, California, blending orchestral arrangement with the raw aggression of black metal in a high-altitude Sierra Nevada setting. The band's 2023 demo Cryptic Bloodlust announced a project with an ear for cinematic scope within extreme metal.

Redlands, California's Darkest Demon dress death metal in full orchestral regalia, layering symphonic grandeur over churning riffs with the cinematic sweep of the Inland Empire's wide desert skies. Formed in 2021, they bring scale and drama to a style that rarely lacks for either.