Rancho Cucamonga, California band formed in 2017 that merges death metal, thrash, and metalcore influences into an aggressive style rooted in the Inland Empire's active extreme metal underground.

San Francisco heavy metal band formed in 2019, rooted in the classic traditions of the genre and operating within the Bay Area's historically rich metal landscape.

Stone Emperor is a Los Angeles stoner metal band formed in 2020, channeling the heavy psych and hard rock traditions of the Southern California underground into walls of distorted, groove-driven sound.

Stone Gnome is a stoner/sludge metal band from San Francisco, California, formed in 2021, fusing the Bay Area's history of heavy psych with grimy sludge textures and psychedelic guitar work.

Stone Sloth is a doom/sludge metal band from Santa Cruz, California, formed in 2016, embracing deliberately slow tempos and down-tuned riffs that capture the heavier side of the Northern California coast's underground scene.

Stone Temple Pilots emerged from San Diego amid the grunge explosion to become one of the '90s' most versatile and commercially successful rock bands, with Scott Weiland's chameleon-like vocals leading the charge on classics like 'Core,' 'Purple,' and 'Tiny Music.' Their ability to move fluidly between grunge heaviness, psychedelic pop, and breezy power pop distinguished them from the Seattle pack, even as Weiland's personal struggles became as well-known as the music itself.

Storm the Gates is a thrash metal band from San Jose, California, formed in 2016, drawing from the Bay Area thrash tradition with high-energy, speed-driven material.

Stormbat is a thrash/groove metal band from Watsonville, California, formed in 2013, combining the rhythmic punch of groove metal with thrash's relentless forward momentum.

Stormblade is a traditional heavy metal band from Santa Ana, California, formed in 2017, drawing from the classic NWOBHM and American heavy metal playbook with sharp, melodic riffwork.