The Directory

Drummer since 1999 who plays in Two Minutes to Maiden, Seattle Rain, Whale Tail and a Metallica tribute.

Minnesota artist mixing punk, metal, techno and video-game sounds.

Singer known as Megabeth, fronting Sugar Buzz, the Megabeth Project and a Queensryche tribute, and singing with Trilogy.

Lead screamer and founder of Impaler, the Twin Cities shock rock band that started in 1983 and signed with Combat Records.

Drummer playing professionally since 1988, founder of Audio Circus and co-founder of the Twin Cities All-Stars jam with John Sonnek.

Bassist in the Scott Weiland tribute Crack in the Halo and former bassist of the metal band Concrete Injection.

Twin Cities alt-metal trio, voted No. 1 new local artist of 2026.

Metal bassist and guitarist on the Twin Cities scene since the late '90s, now playing bass in the progressive metal band UXIA and a Nightwish tribute.

Minneapolis band blending shoegaze, ambient, folk and post-metal.

Minneapolis

Bassist in DSG and solo artist E-Roc, with a rock and metal album due in 2026.

Minnesota-based '80s arena rock tribute act known for pyrotechnics, lights and costume changes.

St. Paul shock rock and metal band formed in 1983, signed to Combat Records and famous for its horror stage show and run-ins with the PMRC.

St. Paul

Lead guitarist and original member of Menace, a Twin Cities heavy rock cover band marking 25 years, who also plays in the Korn tribute Cobb and sings in Stiff Biscuit.

Thrash singer turned bassist with 35-plus years in Twin Cities bands, from Avalanche to Fool Fighters and Hollywood Boulevard, and host of the Stunner Stage podcast.

Minnesota metalcore band known for heavy breakdowns: Sam (vocals), Sawyer (lead guitar), Peter (rhythm guitar), Bennett (drums) and Will (bass).

Left-handed metal drummer from Crimson Thorn who now plays with Shredding Flannel and in an acoustic duo with Shad Christensen.

Large east metro concert venue for rock, metal and EDM.

Maplewood

Extreme metal guitarist in Glutton for Punishment and Apothic, guitar teacher at the Shred Den, and longtime giver of free guitars to kids.

North Broadway dive bar with rock, punk and metal bands, no cover.

Rochester

High-energy original rock band fronted by Tank Davidson, coming up on its 15th anniversary.

Duluth four-piece mixing jazz fusion, groove psychedelia, folk, doom metal and punk.

Duluth

Minneapolis thrash metal band formed in 1984 that recorded for Combat and Reprise and appeared in David Lynch's Wild at Heart.

Minneapolis

Metal guitarist in Glutton for Punishment and Die Hardcore, drummer in a new sludge project, and owner of the Shred Den guitar shop in Brooklyn Park.

Brooklyn Park

Self-taught drummer, known simply as Otis, who plays in Menace and the AC/DC tribute Old Voltage.

Downtown multi-room venue known for EDM, metal and hip-hop shows.

Minneapolis

Montevideo thrash band, formed in 2016, with fun, satirical songs a writer once called party-style thrash.

Montevideo

Minneapolis glam metal band formed in 1985 that swept the 1986 Minnesota Music Awards metal honors and made three albums for Jive.

Minneapolis

Bassist in the Judas Priest tribute Hellion and the Megabeth Project who moved into rock stages through Mad Mike's jam in 2020.

West Bank rock club and bar hosting live music since 1974.

Minneapolis

Self-taught bassist who knows about 1,300 songs and plays in Hollywood Boulevard, The Hybrid Theory and Queen of the Reich.

Chanhassen recording and production studio with heavy-music credits.

Chanhassen

Full-time live looping solo performer for about 17 years, with roots in Twin Cities black metal and active rock.

Downtown Rochester all-ages music venue for punk, metal and indie shows.

Rochester

Longtime metal guitarist from Avalanche, TNT and Wicked Garden, now turning diva pop hits into metal with Bad Bromance.

Bassist in Dumpster Juice and a string of Twin Cities tribute bands, including the Rush tribute Exit Stage Right, and a lifelong skateboarder.

Owner and engineer of 1459 Studios in Minneapolis, metal guitarist in Plague of Stars and other bands, and a gear-review YouTuber.

Minneapolis