Fresno death metal unit named after the Egyptian underworld, delivering punishing extremity from California's Central Valley since 2014. Their full-length Destroyer of the Icon channels ancient mythology through a modern death metal lens.

Santa Cruz, California's American Adrenalin deliver high-octane rock fueled by adrenaline-pumping riffs and anthemic energy. The band brings a straightforward, no-frills hard rock attack that channels the spirit of California's punk and rock scenes into a modern, aggressive package.

Modesto, California Southern heavy rock project. Salem-meets-California vibes from the Central Valley.

Amira Elfeky writes dark, immersive songs that pull early-2000s nu metal, gothic rock, and shoegaze haze into a modern heavy-pop shape. Her first wave of attention came through "Your Face," but the Skin to Skin EP showed the broader architecture of the project: low-tuned guitars, slow-burning drums, layered vocals, and melodies that feel romantic, wounded, and ominous at once. Surrender leaned further into heaviness, making the Deftones, Linkin Park, Evanescence, and System of a Down reference points feel like ingredients rather than costume pieces. Elfeky's voice is the anchor, often beginning in a hushed, intimate register before blooming into a larger chorus or sinking into thick distortion. The songs are not built around speed or technical display; they use atmosphere, repetition, and pressure to make desire, grief, and obsession feel heavy. Her strongest work sounds suspended between bedroom confession and huge amplifier wash, giving the current nu-gaze revival a gothic, emotionally direct center.

San Francisco stoner metal project. The Greek word for 'sand' channels desert vibes through Bay Area fuzz.

Los Angeles NWOTHM project. The absence of monarchy — musical rebellion through classic heavy metal.

San Jose, California death metal project. Drowning in Bay Area extremity.

Los Angeles metalcore project. Aquatic-sounding heaviness from the City of Angels.

California grindcore project that surfaced in 2022 with the single Rabbits. Brief and punishing — the grindcore ethos distilled to its essence, delivering maximum violence in minimum time.