Metal Metal Land: Where the Slime Lives: Heavy Metal from Florida

To some people, it's a gator-and-mosquito infested Hellscape where the moisture-thick air suffocates and cocaine addled folks do the craziest shit; to others, it's home. Rich in snakes, swamps, and senior citizens, Florida has gotten a bad rap over the years. I mean, come on... it's shaped like a dick. Despite these unfortunate circumstances-- or maybe thanks to them-- the Sunshine State held one of the most important bastions for heavy metal.

If you love death metal, it's unquestionable you fell in love with at least one band to emerge out of the Tampa metal scene. Death, Deicide, Morbid Angel, and Obituary bellowed and brutalized their ways to the front-lines in the Eighties, leaving thousands of whiplashed necks in their wake. A plethora of bands inspired by their unholy lyrics and savage riffs answered the call, including Six Feet Under,  Dark Sermon, Hate Eternal, Hibernus Mortis, and Acheron. On the other ends of the spectrum were progressive and power metal, often times coming together in an epic swell. Jon Oliva would put together near operatic albums through his bands Savatage and Pain. Crimson Glory pierced the thick swamp air with the soaring screams. Iced Earth charged into the fray along with Circle II Circle. Chuck Schuldiner also dabbled with prog-power in Control Denied.

As the band matured, Death found the happy middle ground between straight up death metal and prog. There was a wedding of low demonic vocals with more complex songwriting and instrumental technicality. Out of Death would emerge Cynic, and soon too would be Atheist and Nocturnus. Tech-death has gained prominence this past decade, with tons of new bands emerging across the globe, including Abiotic.

Of course there's a load of other bands of all varieties stirring things up in the Sunshine State. Going the alternative, industrial, and nu metal route, you'll have Limp Bizkit, Nonpoint, Genitorturers, Shinedown, Alter Bridge, and Marilyn Manson to choose from. Want something a bit punky? Trivium, Assück, Underoath, Poison the Well, and A Day to Remember will cover the spectrum for you. Dark Castle and Torche give you a little something to take things slow while Black Tide and Nasty Savage will speed things up for you

So what makes Florida ripe with metal? Well, you have the whole Bible-belt thing going on; the South in general is pretty religious. Economically, has one of the biggest growth disparities in the nation. Drugs have ravaged lower income areas, with a synthetic drug called Flakka being the "hip" new alternative to cocaine.

And now let's go to my favorite part: looking into the bands rockin' the bars, basements, and backyards across the great swampy state.

Druid Lord

Orlando

Death Doom 

Otherworld

Tampa

Alternative Metal

Faethom

 Fort Lauderdale

Progressive Metal

Sevensins

Miami

Latin Metalcore

The Noctambulant

Jacksonville

Black Metal

Cosm 

Saint Petersburg

Doom Metal

Impurity

Gainesville

Death Metal

Denied til Death

Jacksonville

Death Metal

Thunderclap

Gainesville

Sludge Metal

Dretch

 Ocala

Metalcore

Gnosis

South Florida

Blackened Death Metal

A Persuasive Reason

Bonita Springs

Progressive Gothic Metal 

Bloodcraft

Jacksonville

Blackened Death Metal

 Guverra

Orlando

Metalcore

Crud

Miami

Blackened Sludge Metal

Diarrhea Examiner

Deland

Deathgrind

Gutfucked

Crestview

Death Metal

Gaul

Gainesville

Blackened Doom Metal

Doomkryer

Miami

Blackened Crust

Bhavachakra

Miami

Progressive Black Metal

Arakara

Orlando

Thrash Metal

Black Witchery

Winter Springs

Blackened Death Metal

Brutality

Tampa

Death Metal

Hellwitch

Fort Lauderdale

Technical Thrash Metal

Infinite Earths

Winterpark

Progressive Metal

Legend Has It

Coral Springs

Stoner Metal

Threshing

Tallahassee

Post Metal

Orbweaver

Miami

Psychedelic Tech Death

Vitreous

Gainesville

Symphonic Black Metal

 

Gates of Mourning

Orlando

Black Metal

Greater Gods

Sarasota

Stoner Metal

Scytherium

Orlando

Symphonic Black Metal

Reapermanser

Miami

Blackened Thrash

Ulcer

Tampa

Death Metal

Monotheist

Orlando

Tech Death

Ether

Fort Lauderdale

Sludge Metal

Widow and Children

Gainesville

Stoner Doom 

Seven Kingdoms

Deland

Power Metal

So yeah, a lot of pretty great stuff right here. Hope you like. I really hope to bang my head to some of these kickass bands sometime in the future. If any of the big bands are in your neck of the woods, ya gotta see them.  Keep on kickin' ass, Florida.

Stay heavy, my friends.