House Notes V2: The baddassery of Hydra head records
Our recent 5 Songs on Isis was published last week. But I wanted to focus some attention on Aaron Turner and Hydra Head Records, the label he started back in 1993. Hydra Head was an important gateway for a those like me seeking a new sound that bands like Isis, Neurosis, Boris, Converge, and Jesu provided. A different side of metal, left of center, slower, methodical, dare I say menacing in a way that Metallica, Megadeth, and Slayer didn’t provide. The label lasted from 1993 and part-time through 2020, eventually removing its catalog from Spotify with many of the bands on the label receiving their album rights.
Back catalog information can be found here.
With that said: The bands that came from, or at one point were signed to Hydra Head, were in a league of their own and in the spirit of our House Notes following in the steps of Isis, here are a few bands that were, in my opinion, the cornerstone of the Hydra Head Records roster.
Big Business – Loudest band in the room, bellowing out low end swamp disco. Jared Warren and Coady Willis will make you dance after blowing your eardrums. They have written recorded with Melvins multiple times. See: The Beast You Are
Boris – Japanese experimental, prog, noise legends with 20+ albums to their credit. They are the true definition of evolving art in music. All are very underrated musicians, but guitarist and Keyboardist Wata is the coolest person in the room. See: Heavy Rocks, Pink, Absolutego.
Cave In – I’m not a fan of genre’s but they term “metalcore” might not exist without Cave In. The Massachusetts band are in your face as much as they are trying to write really catchy riffs. See: Until Your Heart Stops, Jupiter, Antenna, A New Reality
Daughters – Providence, Rhode Island, has a rich and unique music scene, and Daughters is one of those bands that cements that uniqueness. Every bit a mix of noise, metal, and jazz, their delivery is iconic, See: Hell Songs, Canada Songs, and Daughters.
Helms Alee – Hailing from Seattle, Helms Alee are tremendous songwriters underneath a jangly noise that masks their gift for finding rhythm and melody in strange places. See: Sleepwalking Sailors, Weatherhead.
Torche – One of my personal favorite bands of all time, Torche mix their low end heaviness with a pop songwriting sensibility I have heard dubbed as “Doom Pop”. A tremendous mix of mosh pit, big chorus singalongs, that have only gotten better with age. See: Meanderthal, Harmonicraft, Songs For Singles
Old Man Gloom – The Hydra Head supergroup formed by Aaron Turner with members of Converge and Cave In, among others, consistently smolder. Experimental, noise, ambient, the Seminar series of records show them in their most evolving form. See: Christmas, Meditations in B
Cult of Luna – The Swedish post-metal juggernauts released an EP on Hydra Head in the early 2000’s and moved onto a bigger label; just enough to get a taste of their angular and dissonant beginnings. See: Mariner, The Beyond, Salvation
Dillinger Escape Plan – The legend of Dillinger Escape Plan began with their debut Calculating Infinity which was co-released on Hydra Head and equally important Relapse Records. While their albums are an open wound, their live shows are a master class in raw energy. See: Calculating Infinity, One Of Us Is The Killer.
Pelican – Chicago’s Pelican is known for their atmospheric and intense instrumentals with occasional vocals like the intriguing and beautiful “Final Breath” off What We All Come To Need. But it was their debut Hydra Head release Australasia that cemented the bands status. See: Australasia, City of Echoes, Ataraxia / Taraxis.
Converge – Converge’s beginnings are deeply connected with Hydra Head. Again, fucking genres, but they have been deemed pioneers of metalcore and mathcore. Hailing from Salem, Massachusetts, the band sounds like a coven of witches being drained of blood and are fucking spectacular. See: Jane Doe, Petitioning the Empty Sky, Axe to Fall.
Jesu – Formed by Godflesh’s Justin Broaderick, Jesu are like an old childhood blanket found in your grandma’s attic. Dusty and itchy, uncomfortable at first, but warm and familiar once you’ve unpacked and flattened out the wrinkles. See: jesu
Sunn O))) – The pioneering drone and dark ambient band released a few records in tandem with Hydra Head. The band has been named on multiple “heaviest” and “loudest” band lists. Their live shows are works of art in themselves with the band dressing in robes with elaborate light shows and monolithic stage presence. See: Flight of the Behemoth, White 1, White 2, The Grimrobe Demos
House Notes V1: On The Impact of The Crow Soundtrack
I published an interview with Mike Lewis from For Love Not Lisa this week. One of the things that stood out to me about that interview was his band’s inclusion onto The Crow Soundtrack. It cannot be overstated how important The Crow Soundtrack was when I was coming up. The movie was good, even great, but that damn soundtrack had everything and parallels the movie perfectly. For some of us it was a gateway into the world of other music. For others it was a bridge from 80s goth into full 90s modern alternative. I have found that many soundtracks offer filler music following 1-2 singles. But The Crow Soundtrack is solid from beginning to end and filled my 12-year-old head with images of burning, intense rainstorms, and makeup. I began painting my nails black after that movie, wearing lipstick and eyeliner, dyed my hair black, all those cliché things. For example:
“Burn” - The Cure – Quite possibly my favorite Cure song and, dare I say it, the bands best? Love the scraping flute work sounding eerily like a Crow itself, driving drumbeats and Robert Smith’s croon.
“Big Empty” – Stone Temple Pilots – Core was a great record but felt like Seattle lite. Purple was the band finding their sound, and this song had the big sing along hook. I vaguely remember Brandon Lee opening the door to a church with birds flying through the screen with Weiland and that chrous. Just a perfect scene.
“Dead Souls” – Nine Inch Nails – My naïve and NIN loving self-had zero idea that this was a cover of a Joy Division classic, but it is, and it is tremendous. Top 5 cover songs of all time.
“Ghostrider” – Rollins Band - Henry Rollins at his most Henry Rollins. A cover of Suicide’s 1977 release made full by Rollins. Plus, a song about my favorite comic book character, no notes.
“The Badge” – Pantera – Released right before their landmark Far Beyond Driven and a cover of Poison Idea’s 1990 release, shows Pantera at their punkiest. I would argue the Pantera version gives their version a little more tug.
“Time Baby III” – Medicine – Such a solidly written song, and the only one played live in the actual movie. The Cocteau Twins Elizabeth Fraser guests on the song as well. I will let you in on a little secret – we interviewed Medicine’s Brad Laner and will have that interview and more on the song in September.
Honorable Mentions:
Helmet – “Milquetoast”
Rage Against the Machine – “Darkness”
Just the whole damn album really….
The Crow: City of Angels Soundtrack is not far behind this one, but the movie was butt…..