Based out of Toronto, Canadian noise punk trio METZ formed in 2007, taking equal inspiration from the battered rock trappings of '90s grunge and the noisier side of shoegaze's textural guitars. The group play taut, angular melodies with turn-on-a-dime precision and muscular impact, hitting hard and letting the noisier side of their personality take center stage. The trio's raw, combative sound was well documented on their self-titled debut album in 2012, but subsequent efforts such as 2017's Strange Peace and 2020's Atlas Vending found them refining their noisy rapport while hitting even harder than before.

Florida's Gouge Away play a heavy strain of hardcore punk that echoes '90s forebears like the Jesus Lizard and Babes in Toyland and features socially conscious and often emotionally direct lyrics. The band rose out Fort Lauderdale's underground scene in 2016 with, Dies, then found more widespread recognition with their Deathwish-released follow-up, Burnt Sugar, in 2018. Over subsequent years, the group toured frequently, demoing new songs in their downtime and eventually unveiling the 2023 single
"Idealized."