The Bay Area has been a hotspot for heavy music since the early days, sprouting distinct strains of thrash, punk, post-metal, death metal, and black metal that became global trends. Today’s scene proudly carries that legacy forward with boundary-pushing takes on extreme music. From hazy walls of noise to punishing grooves, everyone is welcome in the heavy side of the Bay Area music scene.

With 2025 halfway over, it’s time to re-listen to our early favorites.

Embrium - Timekeeper (blackgaze)

Listening to San Francisco’s own Embrium is like walking Ocean Beach as the fog rolls in: crushing, chilling, yet beautiful. Hazy walls of sound blend with icy black metal for an all-encompassing sound that wraps around you like a blanket. Atmospheric melodies hypnotize with gauzy softness, only to explode into crushing shrieks. Add in guest spots from Ian Forsythe (Cyborg Octopus) and Kyle Schaefer (Fallujah, Archaeologist), and you have an album that truly captures the spirit of the Bay.

Get an inside look at Timekeeper by listening to Embrium’s interview on The Sunday Screeches.

Ominous Ruin - Requiem (California death metal/tech death)

California death metal builds on the melodic buzzsaw sounds of Swedish death metal with a twist of technical wizardry, creating a cutting blend of groove, brutality, and complexity. And no one does it better than Ominous Ruin. Almost exactly 10 years after their debut, the Bay Area-born band has re-emerged with Requiem, a technical, bludgeoning masterpiece that hides the album’s long road to completion.

Hear from Ominous Ruin and get a masterclass in California tech death on The Sunday Screeches.

SLUDGEBUCKET - Vampiric Earth (heavy fusion)

It takes grit to survive as a creative force in the Bay Area, yet Oakland duo SLUDGEBUCKET have kept their band rolling for 18 years. Vampiric Earth is a mind-shattering trip replete with bluesy grooves, stoner fuzz, and psychedelic riffs that have you head-banging across the furthest reaches of the universe. Oh, and have I mentioned that they have a brand new single?

Listen to Vampiric Earth in full and learn how SLUDGEBUCKET keeps the groove alive in their special appearance on The Sunday Screeches.