Dallas heavy metal unit Deathrider has been carrying the lone star flag for classic metal since 2012, delivering punishing riffs with a nod toward the raw power of the NWOBHM and its American descendants. Texas grit, old-school fire.

Hailing from Santa Rosa in the Texas Hill Country, Devil Beheaded have been conjuring their blackened heavy/thrash assault since 2014. The band's sound sits at a nasty crossroads — the feral swagger of old-school thrash corrupted by the cold menace of black metal.

Austin, Texas's Doom Prophet have been delivering heavy, crawling doom metal to the Live Music Capital since 2020, adding a darker, heavier counterweight to a city more famous for its blues and rock scene. Their heavy/doom sound is built on the tradition of slow-motion riff architecture and an oppressive atmosphere that Austin's heat and sprawl seem to generate naturally. They are part of a growing contingent of Texas acts demonstrating that the state's metal underground extends far beyond thrash.