Explore California Metal
Featured Album
World War X (2019)
Featured Melodic Death Metal Album
Dawn of the New Centurion (2014)
Featured Artist with an Upcoming Show
Featured Heavy Metal Album
Metallica (Remastered Deluxe Box Set) (2021)
Featured Artist with an Upcoming Show
Browse California Metal Bands
1987 bands found
Ventura, California's El Barbaro occupies the brutal intersection of doom, sludge, and hardcore, a combination the band has been weaponizing since 2012. Crushing tempos and hardcore aggression collide with the genre's suffocating low-end weight.
A California-based outfit formed in 2023, Eldon Cult merges progressive structures with the melodic and brutal ends of death metal, crafting technically ambitious music that refuses to sit still within any single subgenre.
A fresh face on the Fresno heavy metal scene since 2023, Electric Eels play hard rock-inflected heavy metal with enough bite to keep traditionalists happy and enough groove to pull in the uninitiated.
San Francisco's Electric Punishment have kept the faith with traditional heavy metal since 2014, operating through their own label imprint and maintaining a no-frills, working-class approach to the genre.
Oakland's Electromancy bring a technical precision to black metal that sets them apart from the Bay Area pack — formed in 2020, they channel the city's intellectual extremity into densely constructed, technically demanding compositions.
Salinas, California's Elektrix have been churning out meat-and-potatoes thrash metal since 2015, the agricultural heartland of the Central Valley providing an unlikely but appropriate backdrop for no-frills aggression.
A California-based progressive metal and hard rock act formed in 2011, this Eleventh Hour pushes the genre's complexity toward accessible territory, blending technical ambition with broadly melodic songwriting.
Named after the tragic figure who died at the Cecil Hotel, this Los Angeles black metal project channels dread and unease into its music — atmosphere soaked in paranoia and the feeling of being watched in a dark corridor.
Anaheim's Elixir have been keeping the power metal flame burning in Southern California since 2008, dealing in soaring vocals, galloping double bass, and anthemic choruses built for arenas but honed in clubs.
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View all threads →Frequently asked questions
California Metal Index indexes hundreds of California heavy metal bands across every subgenre — death metal, black metal, thrash metal, doom metal, metalcore, hardcore punk, grindcore, sludge, stoner metal, and more. Browse heavy metal bands by genre, city, or state.
Yes — browse California death metal bands in our index. Filter by genre to find death metal, technical death metal, and melodic death metal bands. We also index black metal, thrash metal, doom metal, and all heavy metal bands.
Use the genre filter to browse California black metal bands. We index black metal, atmospheric black metal, and related subgenres alongside death metal, thrash metal, doom metal, and all heavy metal bands.
Browse our index for California thrash metal bands. Filter by genre to discover thrash metal, crossover thrash, and speed metal bands. Our index covers all heavy metal bands including death metal, black metal, doom, and metalcore.
Yes — we index metalcore bands, doom metal bands, and every heavy metal subgenre. Browse California metalcore, doom metal, sludge metal, stoner metal, progressive metal, power metal, and more.
Yes — browse California hardcore punk bands alongside heavy metal bands. We cover hardcore punk, crust punk, D-beat, grindcore, metalcore, and all heavy music subgenres.
Filter by city and state to find heavy metal bands near you. Each band page includes streaming links, genre tags, and upcoming metal concerts. Discover death metal, black metal, thrash, doom, and all heavy metal bands in your area.
Visit our shows page for California metal concerts — death metal shows, black metal concerts, thrash metal shows, doom concerts, and all heavy metal events. Updated daily with ticket links from Ticketmaster and SeatGeek.
California Metal Index is an index of California heavy metal bands — death metal, black metal, thrash metal, doom metal, metalcore, hardcore punk, and all heavy music. Browse bands by genre, find metal concerts near you, and discover the California metal scene.