Ohio-based sludge/punk hybrid that mashes the crawling heaviness of sludge metal with punk's raw, stripped-down hostility.

Dayton's Choking drag black metal orthodoxy through the Ohio rust belt, smearing it with thick sludge and corrosive atmosphere. The result is bleak, slow-burning, and confrontational.

Columbus, Ohio doom/sludge duo Churches Burn construct massive, slow-crawling dirges that lean heavily on feedback and minimalist songwriting. Their sound is oppressively heavy and desolate, built for endurance rather than aggression.

Cincinnati's Clouded merge grindcore's speed with sludge metal's suffocating weight, drawing from a web of overlapping Ohio underground projects. Their early releases, including a 2016 split with Ethicist, showcase a band comfortable in filth.

Columbus, Ohio outfit Cthultists blend the brutality of death metal with the sludgy weight of post-hardcore influences, creating dense, suffocating music soaked in occult atmosphere. Their name signals their dedication to the dark and abyssal end of the genre.

Dayton, Ohio's Cum Chalice drag death metal into the sludge pit, combining the genre's grotesque imagery with the tar-thick, slow-churning weight of sludge metal. The Ohio band operates in the tradition of the Southwest Ohio extreme underground that has historically favored brutality over accessibility.