Seven of South Florida's most promising unsigned bands performed sizzling 30-minute sets for the slam-dancing crowd as well as several record label representatives, local journalists, radio personalities and celebrities such as Iron Maiden's Nicko McBrain.

The bands, in order of appearance, were: hardcore/metal rockers Brutal Mastication, powerful hardcore quartet Machine, street-level hardcore/groove band Timescape Zero, industrial/rap/hardcore group Collapsing Lungs, female death metal trio Demonomacy, alternative favorites The Itch and power metal/thrash band Sinful Lust - a last-minute replacement for punk/alternative veterans Quit.

A half-dozen bands dominated the awards - which salute South Florida's most outstanding hard alternative, thrash, hardcore and metal bands. Recent Interscope/Nothing Records signee Marilyn Manson won for Song of the Year (Dope Hat) and took home the Grand Slammie - the Band of the Year trophy. Winners again received a ceramic skull with their name and award engraved in a plate on the forehead. Some 500 ballots were received after months of voting.

Iron Maiden's Nicko McBrain

West Palm Beach metal/thrash/groove band Raped Ape, last year's Grand Slammie winner, received the most awards - three. Besides the Thrash Band award, band members Mike Pucciarelli (rhythm guitar) and J.C. Dwyer (drums) won skulls for excellence on their respective instruments. McBrain presented the drummer award, entertaining the crowd with his wit. "Nicko, you're the best!" someone shouted before he announced the winner, to which he quickly responded: "Bless you for saying that, but I know I ain't."

Timescape Zero picked up several valuable gifts donated by sponsors in addition to its two awards. For being voted New Band of the year, the group gets 10 hours of studio time at Gled Recording Studio in Davie. Welcome to the Kali Yuga was the top Local Release, earning 100 free duplicated cassettes from the Audio Craft Co. in Fort Lauderdale.

Quit, including injured guitarist Addy Burns, expressed disappointment at not being able to play the show while accepting awards for Hard Alternative Band and Bassist (Tony Rocha).

Miami punk band Load also garnered two awards - Hardcore Band and Vocalist. In addition to his award, Bobby Johnston receives a $100 tattoo from sponsor Outrageous Tattoos of Fort Lauderdale. Johnston also gets the night's unofficial award for most rambling and drunken acceptance speeches.

Members of Atlantic Records' Saigon Kick, perceived by many in the local scene as having abandoned South Florida after the release of their recent national success, were the only award winners not in attendance. The group won for Lead Guitarist (Jason Bieler) and National Release (The Lizard). After announcing the National Release winner, presenter Marilyn Manson tossed the award skull into the crowd, where it hit someone and was smashed in the mosh pit.

Rounding out the awards was Death Metal Band, which went to last year's Slammie headliner, Malevolent Creation, currently recording their third Roadrunner Records album. Alex Marquez, who had already finished his drum tracks, was on hand to accept.

Sponsors donated hundreds of dollars in merchandise, which was given away to the crowd between sets. They include: Kow Tow Records, Record Haven, Sound Splash, Uncle Sam's Records, Yesterday & Today Records and Zack's Rock Shop; A.R.T. Records, Metal Blade Records and Relativity Records; D.B.N. magazine and Lizard's Eyelid 'zine; and Concrete Marketing. Radio sponsors were WVUM-FM, WLRN-FM and Pirate Radio (home of Slammie host Rattlehead).

Although the turnout was smaller than the inaugural Slammies (which attracted 1,000 people to the Button South in June 1992 and featured a signed headliner, Malevolent Creation), the second annual Slammies was a less-hostile, scene-friendly event with musicians from different scenes coming together with a common goal of respect and recognition from the industry. The only boos of the evening were reserved for Saigon Kick.

The Slammies were organized by Jim Hayward, a West Palm Beach journalist, promoter and manager. He was aided by an oversight committee composed of three local radio personalities - Bob Slade of WLRN's Off the Beaten Path (Miami), Yvette Lam of WKPX-FM's Tea Time (Fort Lauderdale) and Paul Zimmerman of WVUM-FM's Underground Invasion (Miami).