8 Unsung Releases From Hydra Head Records

From Cave In and Botch to Jesu, Xasthur, Oxbow, and, well, pretty much everything interesting from near, far, and in between, the Hydra Head Records torch graced many a quality record. Whether it was the music, the cover art, or even the package it came in, deep attention to detail was paid and executed to ensure each album stood out. It was (and still is) a given that any record worthy of a dastardly ‘HH666’ catalogue number was deserving of a purchase.

From the first release in 1995 to the last in 2019, label boss (and ISIS frontman), Aaron Turner, ran the operation like an art curator, focusing more on what he found interesting rather than on any commercial viability or bandwagon hype. The result was that during Hydra Head’s twenty-five(ish) year run, they released some of the most influential, impactful, and forward-thinking records, spanning the entire spectrum of underground music.

While albums like Until Your Heart Stops, We Are The Romans, and Celestial get their definitely deserved respect—some often being cited as among the finest in their respective sub-genres—much of Hydra Head’s catalogue remained on the fringes, reaching only those willing to venture far enough out to experience their might.

Here are a few that we think deserve another look.

Keelhaul – Keelhaul II (2001)
On the Cleveland band’s second full-length, Keelhaul truly created a unique style and sound. Noise rock, hardcore, metalcore, sludge all combined into some sort of fiery cosmic ball of molten lead on a crash course to your eardrums. Keelhaul II saw the four-piece masterfully crafting songs with monstrous riffs, lurching rhythm changes and a level of technical competency that Hydra Head would become known for fostering. If you like Melvins, Botch, Cave In, Breach, or even early Mastodon (keep in mind, this came out before Remission), then this is for you. And if you don’t, well, that’s just weird.

Mare – Mare (2004)
Mare remains one of the most interesting enigmas in underground music to this day. Never mind their nearly unclassifiable take on post metal/sludge/hardcore/whatever, but the fact that they arrived, released only a flawless four-song EP, and vanished just as quickly as they had appeared, continues to perplex. That sole EP, which was originally self-released on a CD-R before being reissued by Hydra Head, feels as original and unique now as it did upon its release. From crushing heaviness to orchestral strings, French horn, and melancholic singing, the group packs a lot into this twenty-four minutes. It’s a shame this is all we got.

Craw – Bodies For Strontium 90 (2002)
Bodies For Strontium 90 was not only Craw’s last album, which closed out a fourteen-year run, it was their only record without founding guitarist David Mclelland. His absence is certainly notable as the band took a bit of a sonic shift after his departure, moving away from the bewildering, maniacal experimentation of their earlier material (see: Lost Nation Road) into a more dialed in, albeit still complex and challenging take on noise rock. Bodies might not be the essential record in Craw’s discography, but with its wild, technical riffs, disjointed rhythmic shifts, and off-the-wall impressive drumming, it holds up particularly well—perhaps even better than a lot of other music of the era.

Cattle Press – Hordes To Abolish The Divine (2000)
Loud, discordant, unhinged mayhem from Brooklyn, NY. Cattle Press blended metal, hardcore, noise rock and sludge into a dark, twisted, technical nightmare of heaviness. Every track sounds a bit different, but has enough of a thread that runs through it to make it cohesive. From the doomy grit of “The Gift“ to the grimy turbulence of “Crowskin,“ Cattle Press were masters of it all. Every once in a while, a record would come out on a different label that would get comparisons to the Hydra Head catalogue, and it seemed like most of them really just resembled Cattle Press' Hordes. In an odd way, it was the embodiment of the sound and spirit of Aaron Turner’s vision.

Dälek – Deadverse Massive Vol 1: Dälek Rarities 1999-2006 (2007)
Hydra Head released plenty of records outside the bounds of metal and hardcore, but as far as I know, this was the only hip hop record. But to refer to Dälek simply as hip hop would be a disservice to what the group did, and still continues to do to this day. The duo of MC Dälek and producer Oktopus put together some truly intriguing and challenging music, which transcends genre constructs. From grating drones to ethereal soundscapes, the music provides a bed for which the MC to lay down his thought-provoking lyrics. Even though this is a compilation of various odds and ends, it’s no disjointed listen. Everything sounds compiled thoughtfully and cohesively, making this its own unique entry in the group’s catalogue.

Clouds – Legendary Demo (2007)
From 2006 to 2009, cornerstone Hydra Head weirdo-rockers Cave In went on hiatus, during which time guitarist Adam McGrath’s band, Clouds, turned in a handful of grimey, fuzzed out rock releases. While their full-length album, We Are Above You is the essential listen from the band (which we covered here), their debut, Legendary Demo, is more than worthy of a mention. McGrath and company cover a lot of territory on the record, from stoned-out groovers to trenchant thrashers, and even an unlisted Frank Zappa/Captain Beefheart cover thrown in for good measure. This is good old-fashioned filthy rock n’ roll for the hardcore/metal fan.

Harkonen – Shake Harder Boy (2002)
There’s a bit of fellow Pacific Northwesterners Botch in Harkonen’s sound, but that’s mainly due to both being cut from the same 90s-hardcore-meets-Karp-and-Unwound cloth. Harkonen veer off in a different direction than their Tacoma brethren, though, employing a bit more noise rock tendencies, especially so on their second LP, Shake Harder Boy. Frenetic post-hardcore riffs crash against blaring discordance and driving beats, all anchored by a soul-stomping bass tone. Their material may not have possessed the big, dramatic moments that many of their peers had, but there’s no denying Harkonen’s eccentric creativity and dynamic songcraft.

Black Face – I Want To Kill You / Monster (2011)
For the lone Black Face release, Chuck Dukowski enlisted Oxbow’s Eugene Robinson to provide his inimitable vocal talents to a pair of My War-era penned Black Flag songs. While “Monster” was recorded and released in 1989 by the bassist’s post-Black Flag band, SWA, “I Want To Kill You” remained unheard until the Black Face version surfaced. The A-side sounds like it could have easily been included on My War or even Slip It In, but “Monster” veers into even stranger territories with Robinson giving it the treatment that only he could.