In a comprehensive new interview with author Sam Retzer for Tape Op, legendary extreme metal producer Scott Burns looked back at the golden era of the Florida death metal explosion centered at Tampa’s famed Morrisound Recording. Reflecting on his work shaping genre-defining releases like Atheist‘s Unquestionable Presence and Death‘s Human, Burns discussed how the underground movement defied early industry expectations to permanently alter the landscape of heavy music.
When asked if he was actively elevating death metal into a legitimate art form while tracking with generational talents like drummer Sean Reinert, who performed on Death‘s Human before tracking Cynic‘s debut LP, Focus, Burns offered a modest perspective, noting the sheer cultural dominance of mainstream thrash and traditional metal heavyweights at the time.
“Not really,” Scott said. “I appreciate that, but I don’t know. I knew that guys like Reinert and Roger [Patterson, bass] from Atheist were special, and what Cynic did on [their debut LP], Focus. The scene was getting more popular in the underground, but at the same time we had King Diamond, Slayer, Megadeth, Metallica, Anthrax, Overkill and Testament; the ‘big bands.'”
The extreme nature of death metal originally caused many industry insiders and mainstream spectators to dismiss it as a brief, shock-value phenomenon. Over thirty years later, however, Burns expresses absolute amazement at how the deep, guttural vocal styles pioneered by Florida bands have become a standard sonic template for massive, contemporary arena-level acts like Lamb of God, Amon Amarth, and Lorna Shore.
“I think death metal was seen perhaps as a passing trend,” he continued. “Don’t take that wrong. My bands had a very dedicated following, especially in Europe, but it was smaller because it was so extreme. The PMRC [Parents Music Resource Center] put a label on Cannibal Corpse‘s Butchered At Birth. If you told me I’d be talking to you about this all these years later, I would’ve said, ‘No way.’ But think of it this way: Do you hear a lot of vocals like King Diamond anymore? Do you hear singers that sound like John Tardy [Obituary]? Lamb of God, Lorna Shore and Amon Amarth; all these huge bands have heavy and deep vocals. George ‘Corpsegrinder’ [Fisher], Frank Mullen [Suffocation], Glen Benton [Deicide] — these are all deep vocals. If you would’ve told me that style would be so prevalent today, I would’ve again said, ‘No way!’ It’s not because I didn’t believe in it; it just boggles my mind. It’s great, and I’m super happy, but it goes to show we never know what’s going to happen.”
A significant element behind the studio’s legendary output was the tight-knit network of engineers and elite musicians who inhabited the Tampa scene. Burns recollected how highly skilled individuals, ranging from punk rock producers to virtuoso instrumentalists like Cynic‘s Sean Malone or guitarist Ralph Santolla, frequently functioned like high-caliber studio session players, stepping in to solve musical hurdles at a moment’s notice.
“I think your point is well taken there. It’s like the old saying, ‘It takes a village.’ As engineers, Steve Heritage [Assück] was very punk rock and recorded Hot Water Music. Sean Malone [Cynic] was a phenom and had played in punk and new wave bands that I knew from the early days. Engineers Judd Packer [Ludichrist‘s Powertrip] and ‘Super Brian‘ [Benscoter] were all amazing. Brian‘s a real unsung hero. Ralph Santolla [Obituary, Death, Deicide] was a phenomenal guitar player who really blossomed as a session musician as he got older. He could sweep-pick like Yngwie Malmsteen, and he worked with Jim Morris on many projects. If we were having problems with a drummer, we could call up Alex Marquez [Malevolent Creation]. A lot of times bands are young and inexperienced, and these guys could come in like Steely Dan-style session players. We could throw out musical terms, ‘Play something neoclassical,’ or, ‘I need a Strat sound,’ and they would pick up on it,” he added.
Burns concluded by praising the extraordinary talents of guitarist James Murphy, whose technical precision provided a clean, shred-heavy counterweight to the raw, whammy-bar chaos popularized by early scene pioneers.
“Guitarist James Murphy [Death, Obituary, Disincarnate] was incredible; one of the best guitarists I ever worked with. Death metal thrived on the Rick Rozz [Death, Massacre], and Kerry King [Slayer] whammy bar chaos, so it was cool to hear Murphy shred over heavy riffs like he did on Death‘s Spiritual Healing and Obituary‘s Cause Of Death. That was the beauty of Morrisound; it was a community. It’s Tampa, not the big time. Everyone knew each other and it was a good vibe. We, as the staff, were okay with fans coming in as long as the bands were okay with it. Probably like any studio with a scene of bands playing, there was a camaraderie of musicianship.”
