RUMOR: HYDRA HEAD RECORDS IS CLOSING
UPDATE, 2:30pm EDT: Aaron Turner has issued an official statement confirming the rumor, describing the events that led to Hydra Head’s demise, and detailing what’s next. Read it here.
Original Post:
MetalSucks has it on good word from a source who wishes to remain anonymous that Hydra Head Records is closing up shop for good. An official announcement is expected from the label tomorrow.
The label was founded by Isis frontman Aaron Turner in 1993. Here are just a few of the artists whose records have been released on Hydra Head in its nearly twenty (!) years of existence and its sister label Tortuga (culled from Wikipedia):
- Agoraphobic Nosebleed
- The Austerity Program
- Big Business
- Boris
- Botch
- Cave In
- Coalesce
- Converge
- Jesu
- Keelhaul
- Neurosis
- Old Man Gloom
- Oxbow
- Pelican
- Soilent Green
- Come At Me Bro)))
- Scissorfight
- These Arms Are Snakes
- Today Is the Day
- Xasthur
- Zozobra
To say that this incredibly sad news would be an understatement. Hydra Head has been an incredibly influential label in the metal and hardcore underground for nearly two decades, an incubator of talent (I mean, look at that list! for fuck’s sake!) and an innovator and pioneer in the heavy music scene. We’ve seen the label’s slate of new releases steadily shrink over the past couple of years so this move doesn’t come as a complete surprise, but we certainly didn’t see this coming and it’s still a really difficult pill to swallow.
We’re not sure what next for Turner (especially now that Isis is dunzo) and the rest of the Hydra Head staff, but today this one’s for all of you guys:
Thank you for bringing us so much amazing music over the years. I can not imagine what my life would be like without some of the records you’ve released; literally life-changing. Sincerely.
-VN
