Scott Burns is an American computer engineer and a former music producer of death metal records from late 1980s and 1990s. He was crucial to the emergence of the Florida death metal scene, and has been called an "extreme metal overlord".
He has produced many records for many influential death metal bands, including Death, Deicide, Cannibal Corpse, Sepultura, Obituary, Atheist, Transmetal, Suffocation, and Cynic. He has engineered some of the top genre-defining death metal albums such as Death's Human, Suffocation's Effigy of the Forgotten, Obituary's Slowly We Rot, and Cannibal Corpse's Tomb of the Mutilated. He most recently worked on the album Frozen in Time (2005) by Obituary. Burns has since quit producing full-time to work in computer programming. He said: "Since I was young and having fun, I got pigeonholed. Which is fine, but I was just 'the death metal guy.'""Deicide Interview". Mourning the Ancient. Retrieved January 16, 2012.
According to Jack Owen, Burns commuted an hour to Morrisound, and would often sleep in the studio or in band members' closets at their residences.
In 2023, Burns was the subject of the David E. Gehlke biography The Scott Burns Sessions: A Life in Death Metal 1987–1997, which documents his career and albums produced at Morrisound and features interviews with him and other artists involved in their creation. Following its release, Burns made a rare public appearance at the 2024 Decibel Metal and Beer Festival in Philadelphia.
Discography + Year Band Release Role 1987 Whiplash Ticket to Mayhem EngineeringTicket to Mayhem 1988 Death Leprosy EngineeringLeprosy in the Metal Archives1989 Amon Sacrificial (Demo) MixingAmon: Feasting the Beast in the Metal ArchivesDeicide / Amon (18) – Amon: Feasting The Beast in Discogs The Guff The Art of Deception (Demo) EngineeringThe Art of Deception in the Metal Archives Sepultura Beneath the Remains Producer, Engineering, MixingBeneath the Remains in the Metal Archives Obituary Slowly We Rot Producer, Engineering, MixingSlowly We Rot in the Metal Archives Atheist Piece of Time Producer, EngineeringPiece of Time in the Metal Archives Terrorizer World Downfall EngineeringWorld Downfall in the Metal Archives Awake! Beliefs (EP) Producer, EngineeringAwake! – Beliefs in Discogs1990 Assück Necrosalvation (EP) EngineeringNecrosalvation in the Metal Archives Cynic Demo 1990 Producer, EngineeringDemo 1990 in the Metal Archives Death Spiritual Healing Producer, MixingSpiritual Healing in the Metal Archives Cancer To the Gory End Producer, MixingTo the Gory End in the Metal Archives Deicide Deicide Producer, Engineering, MixingDeicide in the Metal Archives Napalm Death Harmony Corruption Producer, Engineering, MixingHarmony Corruption in the Metal Archives Napalm Death Suffer the Children Producer, Engineer, MixingSuffer the Children in the Metal Archives Cannibal Corpse Eaten Back to Life Producer, EngineeringEaten Back to Life in the Metal Archives Demolition Hammer Tortured Existence Producer, Engineer, MixingTortured Existence in the Metal Archives Obituary Cause of Death Producer, Engineering, MixingCause of Death in the Metal Archives Master Master Producer, Engineer, MixingMaster (2) – Master in Discogs Atrocity Hallucinations Producer, Engineering, MixingHallucinations in the Metal Archives Exhorder Slaughter in the Vatican Producer, Engineering, MixingSlaughter in the Vatican in the Metal Archives Various artists At Death's Door (A Collection of Brutal Death Metal) Producer (tracks 1, 3, 6, 8, 9 & 12)Various – At Death's Door (A Collection Of Brutal Death Metal) in Discogs Hellwitch Syzygial Miscreancy EngineeringSyzygial Miscreancy in the Metal Archives Overthrow Within Suffering Producer, Engineering, MixingWithin Suffering in the Metal Archives1991 Cynic Demo 1991 Producer, EngineeringCynic (2) – Uroboric Forms (The Complete Demo Recordings 1988-1989-1990-1991) in Discogs Acheron Rites of the Black Mass (Demo) ProducerRites of the Black Mass in the Metal Archives The Guff Refuse to Crawl (Demo) Producer, EngineeringRefuse to Crawl in the Metal Archives Skeletal Earth Eulogy for a Dying Fetus Producer, EngineeringEulogy for a Dying Fetus in the Metal Archives Sepultura Arise Producer, Engineering, Lyrical assistance & translationArise in the Metal Archives Slap of Reality Fletch (EP) Producer, EngineerSlap Of Reality – Fletch in Discogs Malevolent Creation The Ten Commandments Producer, Engineering, MixingThe Ten Commandments in the Metal Archives Devastation Idolatry Producer, Engineering, MixingIdolatry in the Metal Archives Cancer Death Shall Rise ProducerDeath Shall Rise in the Metal Archives Cannibal Corpse Butchered at Birth Producer, EngineeringButchered at Birth in the Metal Archives Loudblast Disincarnate Producer, Engineering, MixingDisincarnate in the Metal Archives Massacre From Beyond EngineeringFrom Beyond in the Metal Archives Atheist Unquestionable Presence ProducerUnquestionable Presence in the Metal Archives Pestilence Testimony of the Ancients Producer, Engineering, MixingTestimony of the Ancients in the Metal Archives Gorguts Considered Dead Producer, Engineering, MixingConsidered Dead in the Metal Archives Death Human Producer, MixingHuman in the Metal Archives Suffocation Effigy of the Forgotten Producer, Engineering, MixingEffigy of the Forgotten in the Metal Archives Assück Anticapital Producer, EngineeringAnticapital in the Metal Archives Master On the Seventh Day God Created... Master Producer, Engineering, MixingOn the Seventh Day God Created... Master in the Metal Archives1992 Assück Blindspot (EP) Producer, EngineeringAssück – Blindspot in Discogs Disincarnate Soul Erosion (Demo) Producer, Engineering, MixingSoul Erosion in the Metal Archives Hideous Corpse Demented (Demo) MixingDemented in the Metal Archives Sepultura Third World Posse (EP) Producer (track 1), Mixing (track 2)Third World Posse in the Metal Archives Speckmann Project Speckmann Project ProducerSpeckmann Project in the Metal Archives The Guff Jackass Live Producer, EngineeringJackass Live in the Metal Archives No Return Contamination Rises N/ANO RETURN To Release 'The Curse Within' Album In November in Blabbermouth Acheron Rites of the Black Mass Producer, EngineeringRites of the Black Mass in the Metal Archives Obituary The End Complete Producer, Engineering, MixingThe End Complete in the Metal Archives Deicide Legion Engineering, MixingLegion in the Metal Archives Malevolent Creation Retribution Producer, Engineering, MixingRetribution in the Metal Archives Assück State to State (EP) EngineeringState to State in the Metal Archives Solstice Solstice Engineering, MixingSolstice in the Metal Archives Cannibal Corpse Tomb of the Mutilated Producer, Engineering, MixingTomb of the Mutilated in the Metal Archives1993 Raped Ape Terminal Reality (EP) Producer, Engineering, MixingTerminal Reality in the Metal Archives Skeletal Earth Dreighphuck (EP) ProducerDreighphuck in the Metal Archives Various artists At Death's Door II Producer (tracks 2, 4, 7 & 8)Various – At Death's Door II in Discogs Resurrection Embalmed Existence Producer, EngineeringEmbalmed Existence in the Metal Archives Death Individual Thought Patterns Producer, EngineeringIndividual Thought Patterns in the Metal Archives Cynic Focus Producer, Engineering, MixingFocus in the Metal Archives Transmetal El Infierno de Dante (also available as Dante's Inferno) Producer, MixingEl infierno de Dante in the Metal Archives Loudblast Sublime Dementia Producer, Engineering, MixingSublime Dementia in the Metal Archives Hellwitch Terraasymmetry (EP) EngineeringTerraasymmetry in the Metal Archives Loudblast Cross the Threshold (EP) Producer, Mixing (track 6)Cross the Threshold in the Metal Archives1994 Skeletal Earth Dē.ĕv'ṓ.lū'shŭn ProducerDē.ĕv'ṓ.lū'shŭn in the Metal Archives Cannibal Corpse The Bleeding Producer, Engineering, Mixing, MasteringThe Bleeding in the Metal Archives Psychotic Waltz Mosquito Producer, Engineering, MixingMosquito in the Metal Archives Obituary World Demise Producer, Engineering, MixingWorld Demise in the Metal Archives KMFDM Glory Remixing (track 6, "Move On")KMFDM – Glory in Discogs1995 Jason Rawhead Dehumanized Producer, EngineeringJason Rawhead – Dehumanized in Discogs Deicide Once upon the Cross Producer, Engineering, MixingOnce upon the Cross in the Metal Archives Suffocation Pierced from Within Producer, Engineering, MixingPierced from Within in the Metal Archives Six Feet Under Haunted Producer, Engineering, MixingHaunted in the Metal Archives Internal Bleeding Voracious Contempt MixingVoracious Contempt in the Metal Archives1996 Sean Malone Cortlandt Producer, EngineeringSean Malone – Cortlandt in Discogs Transmetal México bárbaro Producer, Mixing, MasteringMéxico bárbaro in the Metal Archives Transmetal El llamado de la hembra ProducerEl llamado de la hembra in the Metal Archives Cannibal Corpse Vile Producer, Engineering, MixingVile in the Metal Archives Psychotic Waltz Bleeding EngineeringBleeding in the Metal Archives Monstrosity Millennium Producer, MixingMillennium in the Metal Archives1997 Assück Misery Index EngineeringMisery Index in the Metal Archives Malevolent Creation In Cold Blood Producer, EngineeringIn Cold Blood in the Metal Archives Sadus Elements of Anger Producer, Mixing, MasteringElements of Anger in the Metal Archives Deicide Serpents of the Light Producer, Engineering, MixingSerpents of the Light in the Metal Archives1998 Suffocation Despise the Sun (EP) Producer, Engineer, Mixing, MasteringDespise the Sun in the Metal Archives KMFDM Agogo Remixing (track 8, "Hole in the Wall")KMFDM – Agogo in Discogs 2003 Gordian Knot Emergent ProducerGordian Knot – Emergent in Discogs 2005 Obituary Frozen in Time ProducerFrozen in Time in the Metal Archives
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