Mike Browning
Encyclopedia
Mike Browning is an American
metal
drummer
and vocalist.
pioneers Morbid Angel
. He played in the band from 1984 to 1986 and made one official recording with them, the Abominations of Desolation
album, which was not actually released until 1991, years after Browning left the band. Browning had a very turbulent relationship with MA guitarist Trey Azagthoth
and Browning's exit from the band was apparently triggered by Azagthoth being involved in an affair with Brownings then girlfriend.
After Morbid Angel Browning remained active as the drummer/vocalist (a rare combination in rock music in general, much less metal) for a few bands in the Florida death metal scene, perhaps most notably Nocturnus
, a technical/progressive
-oriented death metal
band that made a name for themselves by featuring a keyboard
player and with science fiction
-themed lyrics. Browning was the drummer and vocalist for the band on their classic album The Key (1990) and solely played drums on Thresholds
before quitting the band in 1993. Other projects in the 80's and 90's included Florida death metal band Incubus and Acheron
.
Browning's current band is called After Death, sounding much like Nocturnus with somewhat simpler song structures, and lyrically concerned with the occult and black magic
. He is also involved in Devine Essence and Wolf And Hawk with female metal singer Lisa Lombardo. He is currently residing in Tampa, Florida
and has a large collection of medieval weapons and Ancient Egyptian artifacts in his home. He is often asked to teach classes about Ancient Egypt and the Middle East at local colleges and schools and is qualified to be a museum curator. He also has a huge interest in old muscle car
s.
In 2008 he released a solo album Mike Brownings Inner Workings - Trancemissions.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
drummer
Drummer
A drummer is a musician who is capable of playing drums, which includes but is not limited to a drum kit and accessory based hardware which includes an assortment of pedals and standing support mechanisms, marching percussion and/or any musical instrument that is struck within the context of a...
and vocalist.
Career
He is perhaps best known for being the former drummer/vocalist for death metalDeath metal
Death metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal. It typically employs heavily distorted guitars, tremolo picking, deep growling vocals, blast beat drumming, minor keys or atonality, and complex song structures with multiple tempo changes....
pioneers Morbid Angel
Morbid Angel
Morbid Angel is an American death metal band based in Tampa, Florida. UK music magazine Terrorizer ranked one Morbid Angel album in its “Top 40 greatest death metal albums”, with their 1989 debut Altars of Madness appearing at number 1...
. He played in the band from 1984 to 1986 and made one official recording with them, the Abominations of Desolation
Abominations of Desolation
Abominations of Desolation was an early demo album by Morbid Angel. While it was originally recorded in May 1986, the band did not release it at the time due to their dissatisfaction with the final product. These recordings would later be released in 1991 at the decision of the band's record label,...
album, which was not actually released until 1991, years after Browning left the band. Browning had a very turbulent relationship with MA guitarist Trey Azagthoth
Trey Azagthoth
Trey Azagthoth is an American musician best known as founder and guitarist of the Florida death metal band Morbid Angel. Azagthoth began playing at the age of 16...
and Browning's exit from the band was apparently triggered by Azagthoth being involved in an affair with Brownings then girlfriend.
After Morbid Angel Browning remained active as the drummer/vocalist (a rare combination in rock music in general, much less metal) for a few bands in the Florida death metal scene, perhaps most notably Nocturnus
Nocturnus
Nocturnus was an American progressive death metal band formed in Tampa, Florida in 1987 by drummer/vocalist Mike Browning . They were known for their science-fiction themed lyrics and use of keyboards, both of which were virtually unknown in extreme metal...
, a technical/progressive
Progressive metal
Progressive metal is a subgenre of heavy metal originating in the United Kingdom and North America in the late 1980s...
-oriented death metal
Death metal
Death metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal. It typically employs heavily distorted guitars, tremolo picking, deep growling vocals, blast beat drumming, minor keys or atonality, and complex song structures with multiple tempo changes....
band that made a name for themselves by featuring a keyboard
Keyboard instrument
A keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
player and with science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
-themed lyrics. Browning was the drummer and vocalist for the band on their classic album The Key (1990) and solely played drums on Thresholds
Thresholds
Thresholds is the second full-length studio album from Florida death metal band Nocturnus. It was released in 1992 by Earache Records and follows the band's debut album The Key....
before quitting the band in 1993. Other projects in the 80's and 90's included Florida death metal band Incubus and Acheron
Acheron (band)
Acheron are an American black/death band, originally based in Florida.-History:Founded in 1988 by vocalist/bassist/songwriter Vincent Crowley , Acheron's musical output is almost exclusively Satanic and anti-Christian in content. Early albums featured interludes by Peter H. Gilmore...
.
Browning's current band is called After Death, sounding much like Nocturnus with somewhat simpler song structures, and lyrically concerned with the occult and black magic
Black magic
Black magic is the type of magic that draws on assumed malevolent powers or is used with the intention to kill, steal, injure, cause misfortune or destruction, or for personal gain without regard to harmful consequences. As a term, "black magic" is normally used by those that do not approve of its...
. He is also involved in Devine Essence and Wolf And Hawk with female metal singer Lisa Lombardo. He is currently residing in Tampa, Florida
Tampa, Florida
Tampa is a city in the U.S. state of Florida. It serves as the county seat for Hillsborough County. Tampa is located on the west coast of Florida. The population of Tampa in 2010 was 335,709....
and has a large collection of medieval weapons and Ancient Egyptian artifacts in his home. He is often asked to teach classes about Ancient Egypt and the Middle East at local colleges and schools and is qualified to be a museum curator. He also has a huge interest in old muscle car
Muscle car
Muscle car is a term used to refer to a variety of high-performance automobiles. The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines muscle cars as "any of a group of American-made 2-door sports coupes with powerful engines designed for high-performance driving." Usually, a large V8 engine is fitted in a...
s.
In 2008 he released a solo album Mike Brownings Inner Workings - Trancemissions.