Decibel Books will publish ‘Deconstructing Towers: The Story Of Hydra Head Records’ this December, offering a deep dive into the history of one of underground music’s most influential labels.
Founded by Aaron Turner, known for his work with Isis and Neurosis, Hydra Head Records built a reputation for championing adventurous, boundary-pushing music and distinctive artwork. The label’s catalog included landmark releases from Converge, The Dillinger Escape Plan, Cave In, Botch, Jesu, and many others before its operations came to an end in 2020.
Written by longtime music journalist and Great Falls bassist Shane Mehling, the book draws on interviews and recollections from artists, former bandmates, and employees who helped shape the label’s nearly two-decade history.
According to Decibel Books, ‘Deconstructing Towers’ traces Hydra Head’s emergence from Boston’s metal and hardcore scenes in the mid-1990s through its later relocation to Los Angeles, documenting the label’s distinctive aesthetic and the creative ambitions that defined its releases.
An exclusive excerpt is already available through Decibel Magazine, taking readers back to the early 2000s, when major labels competed to sign Cave In following the breakthrough success of their album ‘Jupiter’. Read the excerpt here.
Turner also reflected on the label’s complicated legacy in a statement included in the announcement.
“Hydra Head Records was a complicated, gratifying, frustrating and ultimately life-changing enterprise to be a part of.”
He added that the label was built around musical freedom, creative integrity, and friendships forged through collaboration, while acknowledging that it did not always live up to those ideals.
“I like to think that the heart was always in the right place—and that what came out of the label left a lasting and positive impression within the underground realm it occupied.”
The book will span more than 500 pages, with an additional 32-page color section featuring rare and previously unpublished photographs. It will also feature new cover artwork created by Turner himself.
Alongside the label’s broader history, the book will explore Hydra Head’s connections to a wide range of artists, including Isis, Cave In, Botch, Converge, Pelican, Torche, Jesu, Old Man Gloom, Xasthur, The Dillinger Escape Plan, Jesuit, Discordance Axis, Oxbow, Agoraphobic Nosebleed, Drowningman, and Big Business.
‘Deconstructing Towers: The Story Of Hydra Head Records’ is available to pre-order through the Decibel store.
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