Hydra Head Records is an independent record label which specializes in heavy metal music, founded in New Mexico by Aaron Turner (the frontman of Isis) in 1993. It has two imprints; Hydra Head Noise Industries, which specialises in experimental and noise music, and another entitled Tortuga Records.
Hydra Head was founded in 1993 as a distribution company while Turner was still in high school. In 1995, he moved to Boston to attend art school. In late 1995, he was handed a demo by local band Vent. That seven inch would be the first record released on Hydra Head. The label grew to accommodate local bands such as Roswell, Corrin, Piebald and Converge, and after Turner graduated from college in 1999, it became a full-time endeavour. Hydra Head recently relocated to Los Angeles, California from their former home in Boston, Massachusetts.
Some of the bands signed to the label include Cave In, Xasthur, Kayo Dot, Boris, and Jesu. Its discography includes Botch, Khanate, and Harkonen, who were all signed to Hydra Head prior to their respective disbandings.
On September 11th 2012, Turner announced the "imminent demise of Hydra Head Records", stating that they will take their first steps into shutdown "this December, at which point we are cutting off new releases from the label." They will continue to stay operational, maintaining their back catalogue to pay off their "rather sizeable debts."
Read more about Hydra Head Records: Current Roster, Past Artists
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