Ask a metal fan about Tampa and the conversation turns to a recording studio. Morrisound Recording opened in 1981, and by the late 1980s it was where Morbid Angel, Obituary, Deicide and Death were making the records that defined death metal. Cannibal Corpse came down from Buffalo and cut its first six albums there. All of it earned Tampa a name as the death metal capital of the world, and in 2025 Hillsborough County put up a historical marker at the studio's Temple Terrace address.
Rockville weekend in Daytona
Each May, Welcome to Rockville takes over Daytona International Speedway for four days, with well over a hundred bands spread across several stages. The festival signed a long deal to stay at the track, so it is a fixed point on the calendar. Hotels from Ormond Beach to New Smyrna Beach fill early, and traffic near the speedway is heavy all weekend, so plan your parking before you leave home.
Punk and emo
Gainesville is the home base for Florida punk. No Idea Records helped launch Hot Water Music, Less Than Jake and Against Me!, and The Fest fills the town's bars and clubs with punk bands every fall. Ocala gave the world A Day to Remember, Coral Springs produced New Found Glory, and Underoath came together in Ocala before settling in Tampa.
Between festival weekends, heavy tours work the clubs in Tampa, Orlando and Fort Lauderdale. The Rockville crowd should start with Daytona, Gainesville covers Fest country, and the classic stuff sits under rock.
