An Ohio black metal and punk hybrid active since 2001, Slavehouse occupy the ugly, uncompromising space where those two genres collide into something rawer than either alone. Their two-decade-plus run makes them veterans of a strain of American black metal that refuses to be polished or accommodating.

Cincinnati death metal/deathcore outfit formed in 2020, combining the brutality of old-school death metal with the rhythmic breakdown-driven aggression of deathcore. Their sound leans into a heavier, more punishing direction within the Cincinnati underground scene.

Bowling Green, Ohio heavy metal band active since 2016, rooted in traditional heavy metal with an emphasis on direct, no-frills power riffing. Sledge represent the working-class Midwest metal aesthetic — straightforward, heavy, and unapologetic.

Columbus, Ohio progressive metal band formed in 2009, crafting technically informed compositions within Ohio's surprisingly fertile metal scene. Sleepers Awake balance progressive complexity with accessible song structures, drawing from the tradition of melodic prog metal without abandoning technical ambition.

Akron, Ohio's Sloth Wampa lean into the fuzzed-out, slow-burning intersection of stoner and doom metal since their 2020 formation, delivering the kind of heavy, sun-baked riffs that make the body move at glacial speed. Their name signals a self-aware approach to the absurd side of the genre's lore while keeping the music genuinely heavy.

Cleveland, Ohio psychedelic doom and post-metal band formed in 2023, constructing expansive, atmosphere-heavy arrangements that move between meditative drone and crushing heaviness.

Akron, Ohio band formed in 2012 playing doom-laden sludge metal rooted in the tradition of the Rust Belt's heavy underground, characterized by slow crushing riffs and bleak atmospherics.

Smoke Covenant is a sludge metal band from Columbus, Ohio, formed in 2016, grinding out slow, feedback-laden riffs and abrasive vocals in the crusty tradition of American sludge metal.

Toledo, Ohio thrash metal band formed in 2023, delivering straight-ahead Bay Area-influenced thrash from the industrial heartland of the Midwest.