From Florida Metal to the Blues: Raped Ape, Divine Empire, and More /////////////////// In this episode, we are joined by guitarist JP Soars to trace his journey from South Florida’s metal scene of the 1980s and 1990s to a decades-long career as a blues artist. JP shares stories from early bands like Raped Ape, Malevolent Creation, and Divine Empire, recording at Morrisound Studios and Studio 13, playing and seeing shows at venues like the Cameo Theater, The Treehouse, The Pit, Weekends, Metal Factory, and more, as well as radio, zines, and touring.

He also talks about discovering blues, jazz, and roots music early on, inspired by artists like BB King, Muddy Waters, and Albert King, which eventually led to a full-circle career shift and collaborations with Jason Newsted of Metallica and Lee Oskar of War.