Celestial Sovereignty is a progressive black/death metal band from Modesto, California. They blend the sinister atmosphere of black metal, the brutality of death metal, and the compositional complexity of progressive metal into multi-layered compositions.

Cemetary is a thrash metal band from Santa Clara, California, channeling the aggressive Bay Area tradition of bands like early Exodus and Testament, with tight rhythm work, barked vocals, and relentless forward momentum.

Cemetery Rot is a death metal band from Bakersfield, California, drawing from the Swedish and Finnish old-school traditions with a heavy reliance on buzzsaw guitar tone, gut-punch riffing, and the morbid energy of early Dismember and Entombed.

San Diego, California brutal death metal and slam act formed in 2003, known for guttural vocals, down-tuned chugging riffs, and the punishing rhythmic intensity central to the slam subgenre; frequent comparisons to Devourment and Disgorge.

Los Angeles, California band blending melodic death metal's harmonic sensibility with the riff aggression of thrash, resulting in a melodically charged and technically driven sound.

Progressive metal band from Westminster, California, focused on technical musicianship and elaborate song structures characteristic of the genre.

San Francisco, California three-piece brutal death metal and slam band formed in 2007, evolving from a noise project into a full-force practitioner of slam's rhythmically punishing style, with their 2011 album Orgasmica showcasing their established sound.

Los Angeles, California death metal band playing in the tradition of the West Coast death metal underground with a dark and aggressive approach.

Ceremony formed in Rohnert Park, California in 2005, releasing their debut EP Ruined on Malfunction Records that same year and quickly establishing themselves in the California hardcore underground with a raw powerviolence-adjacent approach. Over subsequent albums, the band underwent a deliberate stylistic migration through 1980s-influenced hardcore, garage rock, and post-punk, exploring a range of sounds while retaining an underlying confrontational energy. They have released six studio albums and remain active.