Roundup of SLC metal bands 

• Jess Gruneisen
• DoomCupcake

As Jack Black has eloquently stated, "You can't kill the metal; the metal will live on." Since its inception in the late-'60s/early-'70s, metal has grown and branched out into dozens of subgenres, leaving plenty of room for new acts even while the originals hold true. While many metalheads listen to the classics like Black Sabbath and Megadeth, there are plenty of locals who will melt your face just as much as the big guys. Here are some local metal bands that you'll want to check out if you need some new hard-and-fast tunes.

Mauled: Death metal band Mauled has one of the most metal names on this list—and with that hard name comes an even harder sound. Their 2024 debut Divine Comedy is an intense listening experience in the best way; if you're a fan of the death metal subgenre, look no further. It's fast and heavy and leans on fearsome vocals emblematic of the genre. With track names like "Retaliation," "Punishment" and "Misanthropy," the album will leave feeling like you got something out of your system. Sometimes you just need to rage and headbang your problems out.
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DoomCupcake: When thinking of metal in SLC, DoomCupcake is on the forefront of many people's minds—and rightly so. Fronted by the enigmatic Zaza Historia VanDyke, DoomCupcake offers a unique mixture of badass and awesome. Their punk-infused metal offers listeners a mixture of tongue-in-cheek humor and exceptional talent. Their latest single "Micro-Dosing Calzones" will make you laugh, but also admire the musicianship of the track. "DoomCupcake packs the heavy riffs you loved if you went to high school in the early 2000s with the poppy 'ear-worm' melodies that haunt the radio, and lyrics that express the oppression, mental-health struggles, and fearlessness that their singer walks with everyday," the band told The Ogdenite last year. If you can't find something within Zaza's lyrics that you identify with, you can at least head-bang along, because DoomCupcake hits HARD." Their 2023 debut album The Grippy Socks Hotel has a few more serious moments with its poignant lyrics and vulnerability, but it's all fantastic and worth many listens.
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The Used: I spent a great deal of my early teen years obsessing over The Used and their sound—which perfectly fits with the emo kid aesthetic—while having no clue that they formed in Orem in the early aughts. It had been a few years since pressing play on any of their music, but upon learning this revelation, I went to revisit some of their music and found myself comfortably settling in and reliving the nostalgia. The Used has released tons of music since their self-titled debut in 2002, but there's something about that first album that's hard to move past. "The Taste of Ink" is still the band's most played song, with millions of streams. They may not fully fit in the category of metal, as they mix elements of rock and pop-punk, but it's the emo/screamo sound that makes them feel at home here.
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Chelsea Grin: Since forming in 2007, the band has gone through many changes, and since 2018, none of the founding members remain in the band. But that doesn't negatively affect their sound. While some of the band's original songs are among their most popular, they have recent tracks that listeners love, including ones off of their 2023 album Suffer in Heaven. Chelsea Grin's sound is heavy and hard, feeling raw at times with intense and powerful vocals. They have a huge library if you're looking for a deep dive into some truly intense deathcore sounds.
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Blood Star: If you haven't heard of Blood Star, run, don't walk to pull up their music. This local band and their music are pure delight. They have a more traditional metal vibe that includes chugging rhythms and melodic, atmospheric sound. Their 2023 album First Sighting showcases the band at their best—it's face-melting, and builds and builds, never getting old as you make your way through each track. The lyrics also paint vivid pictures, leading you on an epic journey through a mythical world, as songs like "Fearless Priestess," "The Observers" and "Cold Moon" paint delightful and beautiful pictures that pair exceptionally well with Blood Star's sound. They are a must-listen when it comes to metal in SLC.
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There are few guarantees in this world, but one of them is that metal will always prevail, so be sure to add music from these bands to your library for a rainy day.