Honoring the Birthplace of Death Metal: Morrisound Recording Receives Historical Marker

by George Hudak

Special thanks to Tampa Bay Music News for partnering with us to share this story, originally reported by Tampa Bay Music News and Robert Boyd of ABC Action News. We’re proud to collaborate with local outlets committed to celebrating Tampa Bay’s rich cultural legacy.

On Friday, May 16, the original location of Morrisound Recording — the legendary Tampa-area studio that helped launch the global death metal movement — was officially recognized with a Historical Marker by Hillsborough County. Located in Temple Terrace, the site became a haven for extreme metal acts throughout the 1980s and ‘90s, including SEPULTURA, DEATH, ICED EARTH, DEICIDE, OBITUARY, CANNIBAL CORPSE, and MALEVOLENT CREATION.

A reception followed at Magnanimous Brewing in Seminole Heights. Notable musicians in attendance included Jon Oliva (SAVATAGE, TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA), “Nasty” Ronnie Galletti and David Austin (NASTY SAVAGE), Jeff Lords (CRIMSON GLORY), and Paul Mazurkiewicz (CANNIBAL CORPSE).

Founded in 1981 by brothers Tom and Jim Morris, Morrisound earned a reputation for technical excellence, with acoustic design and equipment that rivaled major studios in New York and Los Angeles. Over the decades, it became a destination for artists across nearly every genre — from classical and jazz to gospel, country, hip-hop, and, most famously, death metal.

At the marker unveiling, Tom Morris remarked:

“No sane person opens a recording studio to get rich or famous. We spent our entire careers helping artists realize their creative visions. This marker is a recognition of those efforts — not just ours, but our staff’s and the incredible artists who came through our doors in the ‘80s and ‘90s. It was their vision and our execution that helped give rise to a new musical genre here in Tampa Bay and around the world.”

Morrisound shared in a previous statement:

“We are pleased to announce that Hillsborough County has awarded Morrisound Recording, Inc. a Historical Marker to honor the contributions we and our staff made to the music industry, especially in the field of extreme metal production. The marker now stands at our original location on 56th Street in Temple Terrace — the site of some of the most iconic extreme metal recordings of the 1980s and ‘90s.”

In later years, Morrisound became the recording home of the operatic rock powerhouse TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA, which purchased the original studio from the Morris brothers in 2015. In 2022, Tom Morris stepped back from the console after experiencing hearing loss caused by Meniere’s disease, an autoimmune disorder. He continues to oversee the studio’s business operations.

Today, Tom and Jim Morris carry the Morrisound legacy forward from a more intimate space — a repurposed 1920s-era bank building in Sulphur Springs — ensuring the studio remains a vital part of Tampa’s vibrant music future.