by BBG

Helms Alee at Cake Shop (more by Markus Shaffer)

Similar to their labelmates Torche and Big Business, Helms Alee mixes the sweet with the blistering on their latest LP, Weatherhead. The Seattle band, which contains Ben Verellen of the much revered Harkonen, doles out booming riffs and catchy melodies in their hardcore inflected confections that will have you raising your clenched fist in celebration while you sing along. Weatherhead is currently on sale via Hydrahead with its official release date set for Tuesday, but you can exclusively stream it in its entirety here and now, below.

After a record release celebration with Akimbo, Brothers of The Sonic Cloth, and Norska on June 29th at Neumos in Seattle, Helms Alee will pick up a show in Austin at Red 7 on 7/6 before joining Torche and Big Business on tour in July. The trio will tag Music Hall of Williamsburg on 7/20 and tickets are still available. OR, if you're feeling lucky you can try your hand at winning a pair AND a 2LP copy of Weatherhead at our Facebook!

All tour dates and that album stream is below.

Continue reading "Helms Alee releasing Weatherhead (stream it here), touring with Big Business & Torche (dates & a contest)"

by BBG

DOWNLOAD: Gridlink - "Dar Al-Harb" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Buzzov*en - "Lose" (MP3)

Buzzoven at Public Assembly (more by Samantha Marble)

Hydra Head has a helluva release schedule this week! Besides crucial represses of Neurosis's Sovereign, Discordance Axis's The Inalienable Dreamless, Oxbow's King Of The Jews, and new releases from Clouds (from the grave!) and Prurient, the label also released the long awaited LP from Buzzoven and the new Gridlink!

Now with 100% more Teddy Patterson, grindcore all-star team Gridlink's Orphan is out now. Download "Dar Al-Harb" from the new LP above, stream it below. Gridlink has also revisited their crushing (and BV fave) Amber Grey LP and added some serious low-end in the form of the Human Remains/Burnt By The Sun bass killer. Both Orphan and Amber Grey are packaged in a single slab of vicious vinyl, available now via the Hydra Head store. Helmet optional.

Sludge sickos Buzzoven's long shelved Revelation: Sick Again LP is FINALLY out on vinyl and CD. The release has been a decade in the making (!) and has been bootlegged countless times, but finally is here. Buzzoven fans, grab a fifth of Robo and rejoice... check out the "new" song "Lose" available for download above/streaming below and order a copy via Hydra Head.

In addition, Hydra Head has a new label sampler for FREE download featuring songs from Helms Alee, Jesu, Pyramids, and many others. Full tracklisting is below, along with some video and the song streams.

Continue reading "Buzzovern & Gridlink LPs out, Hydra Head sampler too (MP3s)"

intro by BBG, interview by Mike Hill

Last night, June 23rd, marked the final Isis show ever in Montreal. And here is Part Two of our discussion with Aaron Turner of Isis (check out part one). Mike Hill cornered the guitarist and Hydrahead Records owner on one of their last ever dates on the west coast in early June (they played MHOW and Webster this past weekend). The Isis frontman reflects on his time with the group, band democracy, the writing process, House of Low Culture/Old Man Gloom and so much more. The results are below...

Continue reading "an interview with Aaron Turner of Isis by Mike Hill (part 2) "

by BBG

DOWNLOAD: The Austerity Program - "Song 26" (MP3)

Justin Foley of The Austerity Program at The Charleston (more by Samantha Marble)

The Austerity Program have proclaimed that Backsliders And Apostates Will Burn. During the four tracks of fist-shaking and ear-splitting noise rock, their new EP builds upon the aggro sounds of Am-Rep angular punk while retaining an identity of its own. The Backsliders And Apostates Will Burn EP is due on May 4th via Hydra Head, and will be available in the expected forms (CD, digitally, vinyl with accompanying CD) in addition to a "data-DVD-R that will include 24 bit .wav versions of all tracks on the CD so that you can remix it yourself". Hmm, do I smell a Gucci Mane - The Austerity Program remix album? Grab the unremixed "Song 26" above.

The band has a pair of shows with Disappearer and Phantom Glue on their calendar at the moment, including an album release party on May 2nd at Union Pool in Brooklyn. Flyer for that show, a video, and both tour dates are below...

Continue reading "The Austerity Program playing shows, releasing an EP (MP3)"

photos by Justina Villanueva, words by Black Bubblegum

Coady and Toshi of Big Business

"After much anticipation, Los Angeles based rock heroes BIG BUSINESS have just released their latest and most epic album to date. Entitled "Mind The Drift," the album is available courtesy of the renowned Hydra Head Records, and was produced by Phil Ek (Built To Spill, Fleet Foxes, The Shins) in his Seattle studio.

Featuring the ferocious vocals and bass duties of Jared Warren (ex-Karp, Tight Bros From Way Back When), dominating drumming abilities of Coady Willis (also of the newly revived Murder City Devils), and for the first time, guitar madman Toshi Kasai (also a respected producer in his own right), "Mind the Drift"... [PR]

The Big Business and Tweak Bird train landed at Union Pool on 5/9 and Mercury Lounge on May 10th (with Titan). All tour dates, and more pictures from the Brooklyn show below...

Continue reading "Big Business (new album out now & streaming) & Tweak Bird @ Union Pool in Brooklyn - pics (and tour dates)"

by Black Bubblegum

Dear friends,

After 3 1/2 long years, Cave In has decided to end its hiatus. Please join us for an EP release show at Great Scott's (1222 Commonwealth Ave., Allston MA) on Sunday, July 19th @ 9PM. Also playing will be our friends Disappearer and Phantom Glue. Copies of the "Planets Of Old" limited 12" (recorded by Adam Taylor, Alex Hartman & Johnny Northrup @ Camp St. Studio) from Hydra Head Records will be available that night.

We hope to see your lovely selves.

Steve, Adam, J.R., Caleb
CAVE IN

According to the Boston Phoenix, it's the Jupiter-era version of the band that's getting back together to release this vinyl-only EP on Hydra Head. Cave In went on hiatus in 2006, splintering into a solo projects, Clouds, Zozobra, Old Man Gloom, and countless other notable projects.

"Dark Driving" and "Big Riff" videos below...

Continue reading "Cave In out of hiatus, playing an EP-release show "

by Black Bubblegum

Three dudes with ridiculously bad wedgies

When you call your tour the 'Champions of Sound', you better be either a travelling reggae showcase or ready to ante the f up. Hopefully Pelican, Kayo Dot, and Stove Bredsky (aka Stephen Brodsky of Cave In) are up to the challenge when this eclectic tour of Hydra Head representatives goes east-coastin' in late October up 'til around Thanksgiving. Zozobra (with Caleb, also of Cave In lineage) are included in the festivities on a few dates. That includes the show at Bowery Ballroom on 11/2. Tickets go on sale Friday at noon.

Pelican is gearing up to tour Europe with Torche, and recently dropped a lengthy update including details on their new record.

In related Kayo Dot news, Toby Driver has reformed his former band, Maudlin of The Well after asking for donations to help record unreleased tracks and receiving a big fattie courtesy of one superfan. As a result, the band will hit the studio in Feb of 2009 to record a digital only release. No word on who Maudlin Of The Well is/will be, other than Toby (natch)and Terran Olson. All dates below...

Continue reading "Pelican, Kayo Dot & Stove Bredsky - tour dates (Zozobra too)"

by Black Bubblegum

Miami's own Torche has announced plans for "Meanderthal", their second LP and third overall release on the heels of the mighty "In Return" EP. Aaron Turner's Hydra Head will release "Meanderthal" on April 8th, which (like almost everything nowadays) will be produced by Kurt Ballou (Converge) at GodCity in Salem, MA. Meanwhile look for the boys to play a string of dates (below) including the Hydra Head showcase at SXSW, and a few opening for Georgia badasses Harvey Milk.....

Continue reading "Torche - new record, 2008 Tour Dates (Harvey Milk, SXSW)"