Daytona Beach, Florida, USA • 1970-1971

Masalla was a short-lived power trio from Daytona Beach, Florida, whose 1970s heavy rock anthem "Burnin’ Feeling" has since gained cult status. Formed by guitarist/vocalist Richard “Maddfox” Maddox, bassist Muff Hill, and drummer Guy Trambauer, the band came together with the singular goal of shaking up their local music scene. Their unusual name was born during a late-night party when Muff spotted a bottle of Marsala wine and swapped a few letters to create "Masalla."

After building a reputation playing loud, heavy shows around Brevard County, the band headed south to Climax Studios in Miami to record two tracks. Known primarily for recording soul and funk, the studio wasn’t exactly equipped for Masalla’s hard-edged sound—engineers set up a few mics and quickly left the room. The result was a raw, unfiltered session that captured the group’s energy. Masalla pressed just 100 copies of their 45, featuring "Burnin’ Feeling" and "Simple Words." While the latter earned brief airplay on Daytona’s WMFJ, it was "Burnin’ Feeling" that found a second life decades later, becoming a heavy rock cult favorite.

Though their time together was short, Masalla’s music endures, offering a snapshot of raw hard rock born in the Florida heat.