Los Angeles melodic black/death metal project blending Scandinavian-influenced tremolo work with death metal heft. Absence of Light established their template of atmospheric extremity with a melodic core.

Fairfield, California thrash metal project. Solano County speed metal keeping the Bay Area thrash tradition alive.

Chino, California power metal solo project. Inland Empire melodic metal from the suburban sprawl east of Los Angeles.

Los Angeles black metal project drawing on nature mysticism and atmospheric textures. With three releases between 2018 and 2020, the project balances raw aggression with passages of ambient beauty.

Sacramento death/thrash project. The name referencing pleasure from pain suits the ritual extremity from California's capital.

San Diego death metal and grindcore project. Southern California extremity with a fantasy-tinged name.

Riverside, California's Alien Ant Farm rode their genre-bending cover of Michael Jackson's 'Smooth Criminal' to mainstream success in 2001, but the band's original material was far more adventurous than that hit suggested. Their debut 'ANThology' blended nu-metal riffs with funk, punk, and alternative rock in unpredictable ways. Frontman Dryden Mitchell's acrobatic stage presence and eclectic vocal style set them apart from the heavier acts they toured alongside.

Tracy, California deathcore project named after Dante. The Divine Comedy rendered in breakdowns from the San Joaquin Valley.

San Francisco thrash metal solo project. Bay Area speed metal tradition carried forward by a single artist.