AMPHETAMINE REPTILE RECORDS: DOPE, GUNS AND FUCKING IN THE STREETS - A PRIMER
LABEL BIO and ALBUM REVIEWS: A detailed dive into the history, timeline and bands who released vinyl LPs on Amphetamine Reptile Records between 1989 and 2024.
WHY ARE YOU HERE?
I always knew I wanted to take the time to write (what I would consider to be) the definitive history of Amphetamine Reptile Records. It was a motivation for starting up *Expletive Deleted in the first place.
I apologise for the size of it. It’s big. I could have released it in different parts.
Indeed, I was advised to, by my impatient proof-reading partner.
But no. I wanted all the information in one place.
HOWEVER… there’s so much to document, and in keeping with the focus of *Expletive Deleted, I have restricted my detail to only include vinyl LPs. No CD-only releases are mentioned, and 7”s and EPs are (generally) not included in artist discographies. You’ve got Discogs for that. The singles may well deserve their own article in the future at some point.
What I hope to convey though, is a timeline of the label’s releases and an overview of all the bands that contributed LPs to, what I consider to be, the most consistent and interesting record label I am aware of.
With that said, thanks for reading – and I hope you get to the end.
STRAP IT ON
I make no bones about Amphetamine Reptile Records (from here on in ‘AmRep’) being my favourite record label. It has been since the early 1990s and will continue to be so if I live to my early 90s.
It is a ludicrously consistent catalogue of incredible noise rock – or post-hardcore, as it was known, before there was anything snappier available to categorise the uncategorisable.
I firmly believe that the label has never released a bad record. Of course, some are better than others - hands down, Supernova and Servotron - but even the least sticky releases are interesting; whether that’s the sleeve art, the history, the personnel or the tunes themselves… there’s always an angle that elevates an AmRep record above its competition and makes it worth playing and holding on to.
To that end, I’ve decided to try and document the label as well as I can. It’s frustratingly under-served on the interwebs, so the intent of this article is to gather everything into one place, focusing on a high-level history of the label and an overview of all the major bands that released LPs on it.
I was pleased to note, upon investigation, that there are only five albums I need to procure to get the full run of LP releases from the ‘Classic’ period and only eight for the later years at the end of the 90s, before the label ceased to really function anymore as it was.
The vast majority were bought at the time – and a good job, too – decent copies now command horrible prices online. I’m glad I don’t have to pay that for all of them. I’d be bankrupt.
I’ll pick up the Calvin Krime, lowercase, Nashville Pussy and the couple of later Cosmic Psycho releases I still need in good time.
If only I could find Hammerhead’s Duh, The Big City for an affordable price…
MUSIC FOR INSECT MINDS
To my (insect) mind, there are three main phases of the label. The ‘Classic’ years between 1985 and 1994, when literally every release was substantial and mind-blowing is Phase One.
The Second Phase is 1995-2010, which saw the label gradually fade away with the introduction of a new raft of bands that didn’t really hold up to the power of the Old Guard. It’s here where vinyl numbers begin to drop and CDs take over, so the LPs are harder to come by.
Although every record is interesting, killer releases became more sporadic, the label lost a bit of its identity and slowed down until Tom Hazelmyer officially killed it in 1998 – or at least – put it in stasis, only releasing a new record very occasionally and choosing to focus more on his other business enterprises – Low-Brow Art Zippo Collectables as Flame-Rite, his Minneapolis Bar and Grill, Grumpy’s, and, perhaps most importantly, his ‘fine’ art, as Haze XXL.
This second period also saw the label’s record-relationship with Melvins sustain fan’s need for elephantine product, with limited run singles from Buzz And The Boys being the most notable releases in the first decade of the new century.
The third and final phase, from 2010 to now, has seen AmRep become a boutique label, with Tom re-arting select catalogue releases and presenting them as beautiful, screen-printed works with multiple colour variants and limited to significantly low numbers, mail order only.
AmRep has become a paradise for noise rock collectors, with the label re-releasing a few LPs and EPs every year from their most notable artists as well as, importantly, entirely new stuff - including new records from Melvins and Mr. Phylzzz - on a regular basis.
WAR ON EVERYBODY
It’s time-worn tale, as old as the universe itself: feisty punk rocker with a love of guns, noise and liquor, wakes up and decides he needs more order in his life, so signs up for four years to the US Marine Corps in 1983.
Hauling his ass west, from Minnesota to Washington State, he serves his country and gains a taste for unflinching discipline and a no-bullshit work ethic.
He also embeds himself in the mid-80s Seattle punk and hardcore scene where he meets many like-minded individuals that are doing cool stuff in cooler bands. The U-Men. Bundle of Hiss. Green River…
The Young Blood misses out on any overseas action, much to his chagrin, but becomes this captivating mix of forceful order and dogmatic intention with lashings of punk rock flavour.
He forms his own band, named after a cracking Alice Cooper song, off of 1971’s Killer LP: Halo of Flies.
At their best they are a garage-influenced, discordant racket of abrasive noise with a sense of off-colour humour that is too near the knuckle for most.
At their worst, they are pretty much the same.
Suffice to say, in 1985, record labels weren’t looking for nasty fuckers with attitude. So, in the absence of any interest, Tom Hazelmyer’s pioneering spirit mumbled “Fuck it. I’ll do it myself.”
And that’s precisely what he did. This no-nonsense-hero-with-a-hand-grenade became a taste-making hero of the underground, by forming Amphetamine Reptile Records and running it from a munitions case beneath the bunk in his barracks.
Initially purely an outlet for Halo of Flies, it wasn’t long before his punk rock pals in Seattle were asking him to put out their records too. Tom is on record as being a bit surprised about that. To him; a focused, artistic and intelligent guy, there wasn’t much to it. Releasing a record was a straight-forward process.
It was something of an early revelation for him to realise that he was uniquely balanced between the art and the business. He innately understood it, where most of his contemporaries didn’t.
So he agreed to peddle their wares too. In the first couple of years, he released several singles of his own, as well as 45s by The Thrown Ups, Lonely Moans, U-Men, God Bullies and his own Halo of Flies spin-off, Pogo the Clown.
Long story short, his time in the Marines came to an end and he moved back to Minneapolis to gather his thoughts and ambitions - and live cheaply while he did so.
Seeing what was starting to occur in Seattle and realising that there was too much competition there with other labels, Tom decided to stay put and set up shop in Minneapolis. There was a scene there that rivaled Seattle’s burgeoning ‘grunge’ community, but the mid-western bands were less winsome.
They were noisier. More foul.
Far more twistedly attractive, subversive and repulsive.
If the Washington bands had the air of Despondent Wastrels of the Last Chance Saloon at the Edge of the World, as written by a backwoods Holden Caulfield, the Minnesota bands presented a visage from the factory floor; grumbling henchmen, knocking off early for a beer and a brawl at the neighborhood bar, as depicted in a panel of a pre-code EC Comics uncanny crime tale.
They were proudly low brow.
That made them darker. More confrontational. Harder. Unpredictable. Unhinged.
Or at least, that’s what they’d have you believe.
And then came Dope, Guns and Fucking on The Streets.
CUNNING STUNTS
If there was a moment in time that revealed Tom Hazelmyer’s entrepreneurial acumen more than any other, it was the concept of periodically releasing a series of four track EPs, each showcasing different bands that either shared a location or an attitude befitting the AmRep “brand”. If such a thing existed.
Although the bands don’t sound the same - take Cows, Hammerhead and Tar, for instance - there’s an attitudinal undercurrent that links them all. If you identify with one, the chances are that you identify with others too.
If it’s not the tone of the growling bass, then it’s the way the bass has the power to lead the music. It’s in the dour delivery of the lyrics - tales to astonish, delivered in a no-frills cadence. It’s in the hollow crack of a de-snared snare drum. It’s in the wide-eyed delivery.
The intention, regardless of stylistic difference, to get the job done.
There was a definite AmRep sound, no matter what Tom says.
FWIW, he disagrees.
To my ears, it’s intangible and subtle, but there’s no mistaking an AmRep release against (say) something from Sub Pop, Homestead, SST or Touch ‘n’ Go.
And that doesn’t even tackle the graphical identity. Tom’s artistic nature took a controlling interest in much of the artwork for the releases, and it’s cool to see his evolution as a visual artist conveyed through them - from the Xeroxed collages of the early work to the early computerised sleek graphics and hot-rodding of the mid-period, to the lino-cut Kirby-isms of his 21st century designs.
Haze XXL has grown with us. As we listened, he created, and is now justifiably mentioned in the same breath as Coop, Kozik, Chantry, Crumb, Williams, Bagge et al.
Even the video compilations, Dope Guns and Fucking Up Your Video Deck, were hosted by Dr Sphincter, who furthered the concept that the bands showcased within were despicable, disgusting and retarded every-men. It was all part of the same shtick.
The label T-shirts even had a pocket for your smokes.
Because normal guys need somewhere to keep their soft-pack Luckies.
All of this is to say that AmRep had a really nuanced “brand” that fans bought into entirely. It created an unintentional fiction around the bands that presented a unified force of attitude and heritage.
But most of all, it was cool as fuck. And entirely natural. This “branding” wasn’t forced, or even conscious. None of it was part of a master-plan; it just made sense.
So, into this maelstrom of influence came the Dope and Guns releases. Limited copies, beautifully designed, excellent value and immaculate tasters for the label’s ambitions. Once enough of them had been released, they were compiled onto LPs and distributed in less limited numbers.
It was what Sub Pop started with their compilations, but the concept reached its apex with the AmRep releases.
The relationship between the two labels was made more obvious when some artists from one made guest appearances on the other (Mudhoney, Tad, Dwarves) and likewise, later, Sub Pop released a double 7” compilation of AmRep bands (Smells Like Smoked Sausages, 1992).
As a fan, you got the sense that the Dopes were responsible for a lot of inter-label relationships. Bands like Superchunk (Merge), Unsane (City Slang), The Jesus Lizard (Touch n Go), Melvins (Boner) and Rocket From The Crypt (Headhunter) were all Fucking On The Streets at one time or another.
The EPs served as perfect tasters for an entire scene, but they were also great gateways into AmRep. Later on, Tom was also one of the first to provide full-length CD label taster compilations for the price of a single – a promotional strategy that worked wonders to draw new listeners into the joys of Amphetamine Reptile Records.
CLUSTERFUCK
This article is going to focus on vinyl LPs. Therefore, disregarding CD-only releases, box sets and the obvious 7” must-haves that constitute the impeccable run of Dope, Guns and Fucking in the Streets Vols 1-13, honourable mentions go to the following singles:
10: Halo of Flies: Rubber Room (1986)
09: Surgery: Little Debbie (1992)
08: Hammerhead: Evil Twin (1993)
07: hepa.Titus: Chow (2014)
06: Unsane: Fix It (2017)
05: Tar: Solution 8 (1991)
04: Melvins: Night Goat (1992)
03: TAD: Obscene Hand (1997)
02: Cows: Cow Island (1994)
01: Helmet: Unsung (1991)
*Note: I don’t own Rubber Room or Obscene Hand, so I’m breaking that rule for completionism’s sake. Have you see how much they go for?!?
But in the meantime…
PART ONE: UGLY AMERICAN OVERKILL: THE CLASSIC YEARS, 85-94
The first (almost) decade of AmRep’s history is what this article is considering to be the Classic years, where the bands synonymous with the label’s output really earned their place in the weird post-hardcore and punk rock underground’s history.
In historical order:
HALO OF FLIES/H.O.F
Halo of Flies were Tom Hazelmyer’s punk rock, garage, hardcore, noise brainchild. The three piece was the reason we’re here today, gorging on the love for AmRep, the label that was set up to force their hideous noise on the world.
They released a ton of singles, but only three LPs on AmRep, two of which were compilations.
Their first ‘proper’ LP came out in 1993 on Public Pop Can.
Weird.
Tom went on to dedicate all his time to the label. Tim Mac, the bass player, went on to engineer AmRep releases from their in-house studio. John Anglim, the drummer, worked with Otto’s Chemical Lounge and ventured forth into the world of photography once Halo of Flies split.
Halo of Flies/H.O.F AmRep LP Discography:
Singles Going Nowhere, 1989.
Music For Insect Minds, 1991.
Resurrect A Bad Idea, 2009.
NOTE: Music For Insect Minds was reissued in limited numbers by AmRep, with hand-screened artwork in 2016. The design of that edition was also made into a standard reissue which was widely available, the same year.
THE THROWN UPS
The Thrown Ups were an anarchic troupe from Seattle, comprised of future members of Mudhoney (Mark Arm and Steve Turner), artist Ed Fotheringham and Leighton Beezer – amongst others, throughout their lifespan.
One could be forgiven for thinking that they didn’t take things too seriously.
They were set up with the intention of never rehearsing and the result was loose, chaotic and discordant ‘garage’ punk with obscene and piss-taking lyrics.
They were the first band the Hazelmyer signed to AmRep beyond Halo of Flies. A taste of the lawless, cacophonous things to come, they released three singles, one LP and a CD-only compilation between 1987 and 1997.
The Thrown Ups AmRep LP Discography:
The Thrown Ups, 1990.
GOD BULLIES
In many ways, Kalamazoo’s God Bullies are the perfect AmRep band; entirely insane, fantastically dumb, fiercely intelligent, lumbering riffs, terrifyingly mental and as antagonistic as a hornet’s nest that’s been mistaken for a Piñata.
Frontman Mike Hard adopts the role of wild-eyed preacher, facing off conspiratorially against organised religion and the Illuminati in equal measure, while the band grooves and wails behind him.
The sad demise of iconic guitarist David Livingstone in 2023 sent shock waves across the Noise Rock community, such was his ongoing inspiration and influence on the many tendrils that still squirmed from like-minded musicians that had remained active since the 1990s.
His final gift to us was contributing to a 2024 God Bullies’ LP, As Above So Below, which I consider to be their strongest work, written and performed by a new lineup of players from Mike Hard’s band from the intervening years, Thrall.
The original band released four LPs and two singles on AmRep.
Despite the ongoing and tired personally political hoo-har regarding the rights to the name God Bullies and whether or not the new band can justifiably function under it, I’m overjoyed to know the band is a going concern again - and that there’s more new material on the horizon.
As Above So Below is highly recommended and, like all their records, is worth chasing down if you can find it/afford it.
It's also worth noting that Kill The King, their sole release for Alternative Tentacles, is also a great LP and shows the evolution the band would take after leaving AmRep in 1993.
God Bullies AmRep LP Discography:
Mama Womb Womb, 1989.
Plastic Eye Miracle, 1989.
Dog Show, 1990.
War On Everybody, 1991.
NOTE: Mama Womb Womb was reissued in limited numbers by AmRep, with hand-screened artwork in 2018.
TAR
Chicago band Tar’s six-track mini-LP, Handsome, was the first release on AmRep that wasn’t a 45. The band had recorded it, mastered it and had designed the packaging - it was good to go.
Tom had heard and appreciated their self-released single from 1988, Play To Win, so when he received the request to release Handsome, he did so, with little hesitation.
Tar would go on to establish themselves as a key band for the label and are still considered to be cornerstones of the original Noise Rock sound – indelibly marked with the AmRep logo, despite departing for Touch ‘n’ Go for their third and fourth full LPs. An act that left a well-documented salty taste in Hazelmyer’s mouth at the time, but one that has faded as the years have gone ever onwards.
The band lasted until 1995. Two ex-members formed Deep Tunnel Project and released a stunning LP in 2024. All their AmRep output was remastered and re-released on vinyl on No Blow/Chunklet in 2021.
Read about it here:
I also profiled Tar in depth here:
Tar AmRep LP Discography:
Handsome, 1989.
Roundhouse, 1990.
Jackson, 1991.
COWS
If there is a single band that sums up AmRep it’s Cows. Their unhinged, unpredictable, structured chaos is emblematic of everything unique about the label.
Their first LP was released on Treehouse, a small label run out of the Twin Cities record store of the same name, but all their subsequent LP releases were via AmRep.
Tom is on record as stating how high his regard is for the band, and he retains contact with Kevin Rutmanis (Bass) and Shannon Selberg (Vocals and Bugle) to this day. They were friends and neighbours in the early days of both band and label.
Beyond all others, their catalogue is enviable for its quality and creativity. From Daddy Has A Tail to Sorry In Pig Minor, I challenge anyone reading this not to find something they love about the sheer abandon of their songwriting.
It perpetuates today - Kevin never stopped - Tomahawk, Melvins, hepa.Titus, Teenage Larvae and most recently, Lords and Lady Kevin are just some of the bands that have benefited from his free-form and often hysterical writing and playing.
Shannon went on to form The Heroine Sheiks in New York. Their first single was put out by AmRep. They released three LPs on other labels and their fourth as a limited run CD on AmRep in 2008. Heroine Sheiks is some of the finest work its members have produced. A huge accolade, considering it comprises of musicians from Cows, Swans and Grand Mal.
I wrote a detailed profile of Cows that you can read here:
Cows AmRep LP Discography:
Daddy Has A Tail, 1989.
Effete and Impudent Snobs, 1990.
Peacetika, 1991.
Cunning Stunts, 1992.
Sexy Pee Story, 1993.
Orphan’s Tragedy, 1994.
Whorn, 1996.
Sorry In Pig Minor, 1998.
NOTE: The entire Cows LP catalogue, including their first LP, Taint Pluribus Taint Unum, was reissued in limited numbers by AmRep, with hand-screened artwork between 2016 and 2024.
HELIOS CREED
In the late 70s and early 80s, Chrome pioneered industrial noise music. A stateside Throbbing Gristle, with better tunes and an obsession for aliens.
On a side note, pick up any Chrome release you stumble upon. They’re literally decades ahead of their time. When they disbanded, guitar player and vocalist Helios Creed eventually found a new home for his solo work on AmRep. It was a no-brainer for Hazelmyer. He had adored Chrome and it was clear that any continuation of their subversive sci-fi racket would suit his label down to the ground.
He wasn’t wrong. The first two solo Helios Creed LPs had come out on Subterranean Records, but from Last Laugh to Planet X, Helios’ LPs were stalwarts of the AmRep catalogue.
Situated somewhere between the grinding monotony of Unsane, the sweeping pads and space-age bleeps of Hawkwind, the heritage of Chrome, a splodge of Butthole Surfers’s psychedelia and the modernity of Helios’ own twisted, lysergic, and, frankly, frightening palette of sound effects and vocal appropriations, the Helios Creed AmRep discography is entirely engrossing and genuinely out there, on the fringes of acceptability.
Helios Creed was still releasing engaging music into the 2010s but has been fairly quiet since 2015.
Long may he reign as Crown Prince of the Weird.
Helios Creed AmRep LP Discography:
Last Laugh, 1989.
Boxing The Clown, 1990.
Lactating Purple, 1991.
Kiss To The Brain, 1992.
Planet X, 1994.
NOTE: Lactating Purple was reissued in limited numbers by AmRep, with hand-screened artwork in 2020.
LUBRICATED GOAT
I don’t know how it came to Hazelmyer’s attention – presumably through antipodean touring in one direction or the other, but around 1987, it became abundantly clear that there was a parallel seam of raucous, ungainly and equally clamorous bands forming in Australia.
Sydney’s Lubricated Goat were the most notorious – not least of all for performing In The Raw entirely nude on Blah-Blah-Blah, Australia’s late night comedy and music program. The outrage was comparable to the Pistols and Grundy.
No wonder Tom wanted them on AmRep, at least for distribution in the USA. Their sparse rock and roll recalled Cave et al, but the layers of noise and abuse over the top created a whole new aural monstrosity.
Three LPs were reissued under the AmRep logo, and Guy Maddison, the band’s bass player, went on to take over from Matt Lukin in Mudhoney, where he still resides.
Lubricated Goat AmRep LP Discography:
Play The Devil’s Music, 1987.
Paddock of Love, 1988.
Psychedelicatessen, 1990.
KING SNAKE ROOST
Alongside Lubricated Goat and Cosmic Psychos, the AmRep Australian Contingent was supplemented by King Snake Roost.
The band was formed in Adelaide but migrated to Sydney in 1987. Members also played in Bush Pig, who released a single on AmRep, as well as Tumor Circus, the Jello Biafra and Steelpole Bathtub side project.
King Snake Roost released three horrifically dirgey psychedelic LPs on AmRep, as well as contributing a track to Volume Three of Dope Guns and Fucking in the Streets.
There must have been something in the water in those days in Australia. Their first LP, particularly, has more than a casual air of The Birthday party about it…
King Snake Roost AmRep LP Discography:
From Barbarism to Christian Manhood, 1987.
Things That Play Themselves, 1989.
Ground Into The Dirt, 1990.
HELMET
New York’s Helmet were AmRep’s breakout success.
At one point, Tom feared that he could not give the other bands on the label the attention they deserved because Helmet had become so big they were demanding all of the label’s attention.
When they were signed to Interscope, in 1992, AmRep retained the licensing rights for the vinyl versions of the forthcoming Meantime and Betty, which must have been really helpful financially, on top of the cascaded sales of Strap It On, their debut.
Helmet went on to commercial success and horrifically being called out for inventing Nu Metal.
They split in 1998, a year after they released the LP Aftertaste, which I go into in more detail here:
Page Hamilton went on to play with Bowie, and moved to LA to work on film scores and famously date Winona Ryder.
The band reformed in 2003 and have since released five LPs and continue to tour. Despite never reaching the heady heights of their pre-breakup work, the latter albums are worth a listen and tracking down. They’re pretty elusive on vinyl though.
The band released eight singles under the AmRep banner. The first, Born Annoying, was reissued with extra tracks in 1995 as a full album.
The AmRep 45 version of Unsung, Helmet’s biggest anthem, is a career high point. Rougher, with more energy than the more familiar and polished LP version, it’s far superior, and I urge you to track it down.
It’s that version that is the YouTube link at the beginning of this article, in the honourable mentions singles section.
Helmet returned home to AmRep in 2013 for a split 7” with Melvins and released Stuck as a single in 2015. Both with hand-screened sleeves.
Helmet AmRep LP Discography:
Strap It On, 1990.
Meantime (Vinyl Only), 1992.
Betty (Vinyl Only), 1994.
Born Annoying, 1995.
NOTE: The Born Annoying EP was reissued in limited numbers by AmRep, with hand-screened artwork in 2024.
VERTIGO
Vertigo are something of an oddity for AmRep. Very little information seems to exist on the Minneapolis band. They were lighter than typical AmRep bands – they had no bass in their lineup – with a more garage-flavour, combined with outright melodies.
They stood apart from the rest of the early roster, with whom they were often put together on tours and compilations – perhaps unfairly, because next to Tar, Boss Hog or Cows, they stood out like a sore thumb – perhaps unfavourably.
Despite releasing three LPs and three singles on AmRep, the band had little commercial success. This is somewhat unjustified retrospectively, as their music stands the test of time better than a lot of other releases from the early 90s.
Vertigo AmRep LP Discography:
Vertigo, 1990.
Ventriloquist, 1992.
Nail Hole, 1993.
SURGERY
Syracuse, NY’s Surgery were a stand-out band on the label. Following their debut Souleater EP, on Circuit Records, Hazelmyer signed them to AmRep in 1990. They released three singles, another EP, and Nationwide, one of the best LPs of AmRep’s early years.
When the majors came calling, the band signed to Atlantic for Shimmer, an altogether more tuneful, groovy take on their established noise – an album that showed their willingness to experiment and create music with a credibly commercial slant to it.
AmRep retained the rights to the vinyl.
Along with their three 7”s, the band also released a classic 10” EP in 1993; Trim, 9th Ward, High Roller – a record that revealed the songwriting potential of the band, which was sadly cut short when vocalist Sean McDonnell died unexpectedly of an asthma attack in January, 1995.
Still held in sky-high regard for their live shows, songwriting and magnetic personalities, Surgery are a classic AmRep band that everyone reading this needs to be addicted to ASAFP.
Surgery AmRep LP Discography:
Nationwide, 1990.
Shimmer (Vinyl Only), 1994.
BOSS HOG
I’m loathe to credit Jon Spencer with much. In the mid-90s, I interviewed him for a Blues Explosion release, and he was an entirely rude, dismissive and arrogant arsehole to me. I decided, there and then, to do as little as possible to help promote his work in the future.
So it is through gritted teeth that I acknowledge the greatness of Boss Hog and their importance to the catalogue and timeline of AmRep. Obviously, Spencer’s past in Pussy Galore, alongside members of Honeymoon Killers and Unsane – as well as the spectacle of vocalist, Christina Martinez, Spencer’s wife, created a band with AmRep written all over it.
And then there were the record sleeves, rivaled only by Dwarves for pornographic shock value.
The music itself is the perfect evolution from Pussy Galore and before The Blues Explosion. It’s got the punk and noise of the former and the blues structure and coherence of the latter, but it’s more powerful, magnetic and compelling than either of them.
They released and incredible debut EP; Drinkin’, Lechin’ and Lyin’, two singles and one full length before being scooped up by Geffen and releasing their self-titled LP in 1995 followed by Whiteout in 2000 and Brood X in 2017.
And that’s all I’ve got to say about Boss Hog.
Boss Hog AmRep LP Discography:
Cold Hands, 1990.
NOTE: Drink’ Lechin’ and Lyin’ was reissued in limited numbers by AmRep, with hand-screened artwork in 2016.
COSMIC PSYCHOS
In 1989, Sub Pop had licensed the Cosmic Psycho’s immaculate sophomore album, Go The Hack, from Survival Records in Australia. Perhaps the reality and the misbegotten hope of shifting thousands of units of a beer-sodden, bar-brawling Monster Rock Beast became too much for them.
Not so for Mr Hazelmyer.
Following the release of Slave to the Crave, a live LP, the band signed to AmRep and began a run of great LPs, which established their worldwide reputation as the Outback Stooges.
Their ‘Yobbo’ reputation, combined with wah-drenched, straightforward punk ‘n’ roll created an entertaining monster, equal parts Motörhead, Ramones and Iggy.
Surprisingly, they never released any singles on AmRep, despite it being the perfect format for their two-minute slabs of brash, Aussie shit-kicking choons.
The band are still a going concern, having released two LPs in recent years on their own Go The Hack Records.
Good luck trying to obtain original AmRep copies of the LPs. They all go for the better part of £100 these days.
They’re my main outliers.
Cosmic Psychos AmRep LP Discography:
Blokes You Can Trust, 1991.
Palomino Pizza, 1993.
Self Totalled, 1995.
Oh, What A Lovely Pie, 1997.
HAMMERHEAD
Famously hailing from Fargo (or, at least, just outside of it, in Moorhead, Minnesota), Hammerhead relocated to Minneapolis in 1991, and caught the attention of Tom Hazelmyer. They would become one of the most prolific bands on AmRep, releasing seven singles/splits and three albums in the space of four years.
Their shtick was a B-Movie aesthetic, with songs about serial killers, American monsters, sci-fi disasters, spaceships and associated pulp oddities.
They’re one of the big three AmRep bands for me, alongside Cows and Tar. Their riffs drive like the latter band. The constant ping of the de-snared snare making a signature clatter. There is real melodicism at play in their writing, though it is buried deep behind the barrage of feedback and riffs.
It’s a factor that makes Hammerhead so compelling; they reward extended listening.
I’m listening to Ethereal Killer now, 32 years after its release and I’m still hearing nuance and new bits I missed. And that’s their most straightforward LP. It’s staggering to me that they aren’t held in higher esteem beyond the bounds of genre.
Members went on to form Vaz. Hammerhead reformed in 2010 and have since released three LPs. Frustratingly, only the first of which, New Directionz, is available on vinyl.
Hammerhead AmRep LP Discography:
Ethereal Killer, 1990.
Into The Vortex, 1992.
Duh, The Big City, 1994.
NOTE: Into The Vortex was reissued in limited numbers by AmRep, with hand-screened artwork in 2018.
MELVINS
What can anyone possibly say about Melvins that hasn’t been said before?
The band has become synonymous with AmRep, releasing (literally) hundreds of singles, splits, albums, tributes, reissues, box sets, special editions and EPs since their first full release with the label, the Night Goat 7”, in 1992.
They made an earlier appearance on Volume Five of Dope, Guns and Fucking in the Streets in 1990, with Euthanasia, alongside Dwarves, Gas Huffer and Helmet.
Notable releases are the skull and bones singles – released one a month for the entirety of 1997, as well as all the beautiful reissues of their extensive catalogue in limited run hand-screened, limited numbers, from Gluey Porch Treatments to Tarantula.
Foundational to their experimental reputation was Prick, an album consisting solely of feedback and noise, that was released on AmRep when the band was signed to Atlantic, in 1994. Their name was changed to protect the innocent, to Snivlem, and it’s not for the feint hearted. It’s the underground’s Metal Machine Music.
It lays out their unpredictable intent and clearly states that they will do what they want, when they want and, well, basically, fuck you, if you’re not interested.
As if they care.
Melvins AmRep LP Discography:
Houdini (Vinyl Only), 1993.
Prick (as Snivlem), 1994.
Honky, 1997.
Alive At The Fucker Club, 1998.
Endless Residency, 2011.
A Walk With Love And Death, 2018.
Live Stream Obscene, 2021.
Bad Moon Rising, 2022.
The Devil You Knew, The Devil You Know, 2023.
Throbbing Jazz Gristle Funk Hits, 2023.
NOTE: The following LPs (and many more) were reissued in limited numbers by AmRep, with hand-screened artwork between 2011 and 2024: Prick, The Bride Screamed Murder, Gluey Porch Treatments, Stoner Witch, Pinkus Abortion Technician, Lysol, Stag, Alive at the Fucker Club, The Bulls and The Bees + Electroretard, Five Legged Dog, Endless Residency, Honky etc.
And that’s not even considering the singles, EPs and splits.
JANITOR JOE
Unfortunately, Janitor Joe’s harsh, trebly, ear-splitting noise tends to get over-shadowed by the tragic death of bassist and founding member Kristen Pfaff.
Having recorded and toured their debut LP, she left to join Hole, moving to Seattle to record Live Through This with Courtney, Eric Erlandson and Patty Schemel. Creative differences and the death of close friend Kurt Cobain caused Kristin to quit Hole and move home to rejoin Janitor Joe.
Almost.
On the morning she was supposed to be returning to Minneapolis, she was found dead, OD’d in her bathtub. Two months after Cobain’s suicide.
Janitor Joe called it quits.
Though fundamental to their story, Pfaff’s death should not detract from the strength of Janitor Joe’s work. They released a couple of singles before their debut LP, Big Metal Birds, was released in 1993. It’s one of the most abrasive albums on AmRep - consistently delivering some of the best moments in the label’s archive.
The Minneapolis trio (Pfaff, Joachim Breuer on Vocals and Guitar, Matt Entaminger on Drums) were brutal, and the shame of it is that they only got to release one more LP - 1994’s Lucky - which was slightly tamed, compared to their debut - and clearly losing something without Pfaff’s songwriting supplementing Breur’s.
Still - it’s a long way from being a dud. In some ways it improves on Big Metal Birds; you can sing along to some songs, for a start…
Joachim and Matt went on to form Gnomes of Zurich, again on AmRep, releasing their lone LP in 1996.
Janitor Joe AmRep LP Discography
Big Metal Birds, 1993.
Lucky, 1994.
TODAY IS THE DAY
Ever since Today Is The Day released Supernova in 1993, songwriter and frontman Steve Austin has charted a continuous journey into new, evermore chaotic, shrill, distorted, desolate and incredible territory.
In 30-odd years, he’s yet to deliver a ringer, and anyone who has seen the band live can attest to the fact that they have not lost a shred of intensity in all that time.
In fact, they’ve gained some.
Latterly moving further into Metal and Grind territory, just as much as Noise Rock, the AmRep output was still firmly in the latter space, despite Steve’s intention of forming a band to “play metal with punk rock tuning”, meaning that the guitars were tuned conventionally, but as overloaded and distorted as his vocals were.
It’s not hyperbole to crown Today Is The Day as the noisiest band on the label - it’s their USP.
Supernova, their debut LP, introduces the band in a more palatable fashion - already fizzing with distortion and triggering dialogue samples all over the place - but with moderately more conventional structure and coherence compared to what would follow. The violent self-loathing is there, but through successive LPs, it would grow to dominate.
Steve Austin never stops. If he’s not experimenting or writing, he’s recording - himself and others. He’s even performing some dark as fuck outlaw country these days.
12 albums in, and no beat has been skipped. The most recent Today Is The Day LP, No Good To Anyone, contains some of the most compelling work he’s ever committed to record.
Today Is The Day AmRep LP Discography
Supernova, 1993.
Willpower, 1994.
Today Is The Day, 1996.
CHOKEBORE
Honolulu’s Chokebore always felt like an oddity on AmRep.
Their debut LP, Motionless, was so blatantly “grunge” that, at first, it almost felt like a joke. Every established trope was being used in abundance: Pixies dynamics, post-Nevermind vocalisms, naval gazing lyrical content… but it ended up working - perhaps exactly for those reasons.
Assisted no end by the pop-tastic Coat being the opening track on the AmRep sampler CD for 1993, Chokebore quickly became label establishment. Kurt Cobain even requested them, by name, to support Nirvana on, what would become, their final run of US shows.
Brought to Hazelmyer’s attention by a demo they sent him, their presence came to epitomise the evolution of the label’s broader remit, as it crept towards its second phase, in which Chokebore released two more LPs.
On top of the five singles and numerous compilation tracks, their AmRep output was not inconsiderable, and certainly A Taste For Bitters, their third LP, has earned the reputation of being a classic to fans of the band.
They would go on to release three more LPs on different labels, before disbanding in 2005, reforming later for some European tours and a new EP.
Chokebore AmRep LP Discography
Motionless, 1993.
Anything Near Water, 1995.
A Taste For Bitters, 1996.
GUZZARD
Guzzard seemed to appear out of nowhere in 1993, alongside Chokebore and Today Is The Day.
Another Minneapolis trio, their sound was faster, punker and more driving than than the lumbering blueprint of yesteryear. Along with the other newbies, Guzzard really felt like a New Wave of Minneapolis Noise - stretching the definition and doing things their way.
The astonishing Glued 45 cemented (pun intended) their reputation for in-your-face, pissed off and punked up anthems. That central riff is still a wonder to behold.
And then their debut, Get A Witness, amplified that reputation with a solid collection of nine full-on knuckle sandwiches; noisy enough to be relevant, fast enough to differentiate, Guzzard are often overlooked, unjustifiably, as integral to AmRep’s evolution.
And evolution is an important word for Guzzard. The story told by their three albums is one of increasing depth and detail. Whereas Get A Witness was fairly straightforward, significantly more dynamics were delivered in sophomore LP, Quick, Fast, In A Hurry.
By the time their third album hit in 1996, there were ‘clean’ guitar tones and even Helios Creed-style sound effects being thrown into the mix.
The band split up shortly after The Alienation Index.
It would have been good to see where they went after that…
Guzzard AmRep LP Discography.
Get A Witness, 1993.
Quick, Fast, In A Hurry, 1994.
The Alienation Index, 1996.
S.W.A.T.
S.W.A.T. were a one-off project with members of Poison Idea and Adam Parfrey - underground journalist and the genius who started Feral House - which is still going as one of the most interesting book publishers in existence, despite his death in 2018.
The album is an anti-authority soundtrack to a fictitious Copsploitation movie, with each track containing either 70s style movie music, samples and dialogue or a crooning bastardisation of a Vegas classic.
S.W.A.T only released one single, The Soundtrack To The New Police State, and one album, Deep Inside A Cop’s Mind, with stellar artwork from Art Chantry.
The band sounded like a subversive, parodied Shaft - from the 70s but with a very 90s lyrical perspective, complete with a total reshaping of In The Ghetto and I Can See For Miles, amusingly.
Was the joke worth an entire LP? I dunno – I can’t help feeling it would have resonated beyond its own mirth if it had been a six-track mini-LP. The panto gets a bit tired over the course of an entire album.
S.W.A.T AmRep LP Discography
Deep Inside A Cop’s Mind, 1994.
THE CROWS
The Crows are often held up as the weakest band on the AmRep roster - a claim I disagree with - if not heartily, certainly more than begrudgingly.
Their punky blues certainly references the Birthday Party in less successful ways than Boss Hog, but regardless, they performed the role - for one single and one album - of being the next outlet for John Bigley in his post U-Men career.
There’s very little information to be found regarding the band itself - and even fewer photos. It’s worth noting that John Bigley also provided vocals on an early Halo of Flies single, presumably because of his pre-existing relationship with Hazelmyer, from Tom’s short period playing guitar in U-Men.
The Crows AmRep LP Discography
The Crows, 1994.
And there endeth the AmRep Classic Era lesson.
PART TWO: NOTHING LASTS FOREVER: 95-2010
By the end of 1995, the classic period of AmRep was coming to an end. In the following years – at least until the label was initially wrapped in 1998, the records became a little uninspiring. I don’t lay the blame for that at Hazelmyer’s feet; guitar music generally became less inventive, subversive or confrontational in that time.
“Grunge” came to mean Stone Temple Pilots and Alice In Chains. Sub Pop had moved in the insipid direction of Jale, Hazel, Eric’s Trip and Velocity Girl. They had become an uninspiring jingle of jangles.
In the UK, the foul fart wake of Britpop was finally dissipating, and indie artists all seemed to have become cloyingly sensitive. Nu Metal had taken over the rock charts and - well - everything had gone pretty much to shit.
We were on an apocalyptic path to pop punk and alt.country.
The audience had thinned out. CDs were more important than vinyl.
The era of disposability was creeping towards us.
Getting old sucks.
And that was reflected in the last four or five years of AmRep. There were of course some fantastic releases in that time – Unsane, Cows, Gnomes of Zurich and Love666 all released timeless records on the label in those years. And later, White Drugs, too.
But there was also a fair bit of forgettable product.
While all the bands were OK and had something of interest to at least raise an eyebrow, they generally lacked the charisma, power and originality that the label had built its reputation on.
I’m going to skirt across the bands and LPs of this period, if only for completionism’s sake.
Reminder: CD-only releases are ignored, as the ‘zine is focused on records.
UNSANE
In my mind, New York’s Unsane is an AmRep band. I’m always taken aback when I remind myself that they only released one LP on the label.
They contributed Broke to Dope, Guns and Fucking… Volume Seven, and they certainly existed in the same community as other NYC noise bands like Surgery, Cop Shoot Cop, Swans, Sonic Youth and Heroine Sheiks (later). Of course, they played with the first wave of AmRep bands all the time.
Scattered, Smothered & Covered was a success.
Its lead track, Scrape, was played a ton on MTV, bloodthirsty, rubber-necking viewers drawn to its clips of skateboarding accidents. It meant that the song was licensed all over the place, and therefore, the sales trickled down to the LP.
But that record and two singles in the 2010s were all they actually released on AmRep.
Weird.
Unsane AmRep LP Discography
Scattered, Smothered & Covered, 1995.
NOTE: Scattered, Smothered & Covered was reissued in limited numbers by AmRep, with hand-screened artwork in 2021.
CASUS BELLI
Casus Belli was the brainchild of Anthony X Martin, of Bastards, an AmRep adjacent noise rock band from Minneapolis, who released a few singles through Treehouse and one ace album, Monticello, through Glitterhouse.
Anthony ended up handling the affairs for AmRep Europe for a while in the mid-90s. Unfortunately, Tailgunnrangeles, his only LP as Casus Belli for AmRep, was a CD only release.
The two singles he put out on the label are worth digging for.
SUPERNOVA
Supernova were from Costa Mesa, California, and released two LPs on AmRep.
Only the first was available on vinyl; Ages 3 & Up. It was a fun ,sci-fi, punk rock LP in the vein of The Adicts, that didn’t take itself too seriously, but the light-hearted nature of their shtick wore thin really quickly.
Way before the first side of the LP had played itself through.
Supernova AmRep LP Discography
Ages 3 & Up, 1995.
LOVE 666
Love 666 were a late and credible addition to the AmRep catalogue.
Hazelmyer has mentioned them in the past as being among his favourites and it’s not hard to see why. Garagey, but repetitively heavy. Laid back, a psychedelic element that doesn’t feel overdone and blissed out melodies up your ass, all against feedbacking, monolithic guitars.
Both of their AmRep LPs retain significant clout thirty years on.
The band released new material in 2021, on Improved Sequence Records.
And they’re still good.
Love 666 AmRep LP Discography
American Revolution, 1995.
Please Kill Yourself So I Can Rock, 1996.
GAUNT
Yeah, Me Too is the only record the Columbus, Ohio band released on AmRep.
Four other LPs and a large handful of singles came out on a few different labels, but Thrill Jockey ended up putting out the majority of their melodic hardcore output.
In a sense, foreshadowing the pop-punk nausea that would be bowling round the corner, Gaunt deliver a harder sound but, nevertheless, their melodicism is their differentiating factor.
Yeah, Me Too is a cracker in the vein of an inoffensive Dwarves.
Gaunt AmRep LP Discography
Yeah, Me Too, 1995.
LOLLIPOP
Lollipop seemed to be disassociated from the rest of the bands - or certainly - what a fan would expect from AmRep. Yes, there was some noise there, but fundamentally, Lollipop had an explicit garage sound - more akin to bands on labels like Bellingham’s marvelous Estrus or Hamburg’s Crypt Records, than AmRep.
Lollipop AmRep LP Discography
Dog Piss Dog, 1996.
lowercase
I struggle to find much to say about lowercase. Like a poor man’s Sebadoh, their clean picked, lo-fi guitars occasionally burst into a heavier, valve driven noise, but the vocals remain bleating and skinny. Even when they’re yowling.
They don’t have the riffs, charisma, weight or tunes to really deserve a place on AmRep.
Disappointing.
And dreary.
When I said every AmRep release had something interesting to redeem it, I lied.
lowercase AmRep LP Discography
All Destructive Urges… Seem So Perfect, 1996.
Kill The Lights, 1997.
FEEDTIME
By the time -erm- feedtime joined AmRep for the release of Billy, they were already four LPs into their career.
I remember hearing Billy for the first time and marveling at how fat the bass tone was. Billy is their only release on AmRep, but all of their LPs are killer and worth digging for. They’re like a less yobbish Cosmic Psychos fronted by Lemmy.
All the riffs, all the power, but marginally less beer.
feedtime AmRep LP Discography
Billy, 1996.
NOTE: Billy was reissued in limited numbers by AmRep, with hand-screened artwork in 2017.
GNOMES OF ZURICH
Gnomes of Zurich were formed from the ashes of Janitor Joe.
They take a more melodic approach than their former band and their one LP for AmRep is a latter-period gem – as is their one single for the label, Dispenser.
Their name is based on a phrase referring to Swiss Bankers, whose perceived secretive control of the world’s finances in the early part of the 20th century earned them the mocking moniker.
Gnomes of Zurich AmRep LP Discography
33rd Degree Burns, 1996.
SERVOTRON
I don’t want to talk about Servotron.
Devo-worshipping spaz rock, performed by ex-members of Man or Astro Man?
Makes me want to go home.
Please.
Servotron AmRep LP Discography
No Room For Humans, 1996.
CALVIN KRIME
I always dismissed Calvin Krime without really giving them a chance, on the basis that AmRep weren’t at the top of their game when their releases came out.
More fool I.
Another trio from Minneapolis, and yes, there’s keyboards, so no, it’s not Hammerhead, but all the same, there’s a lot more to them than meets the eye, especially with Dress For The Future, their debut.
It’s really fucking raw that’s got a bit of a Brainiac vibe about it.
Calvin Krime AmRep LP Discography
Dress For The Future, 1997.
You’re Feeling So Attractive, 1998.
NASHVILLE PUSSY
It always struck me as surprising that Nashville Pussy released their debut LP through AmRep. What’s the story there? Beyond the soft porn shock value?
And then… stop.
Think about it. Listen.
It’s Cosmic Psychos with Blag Dahlia’s lyricism, basically.
All becomes clear.
If only Cosmic Psychos had bikini bottoms instead of beer bellies, think where they could have ended up…
Nashville Pussy AmRep LP Discography
Let Them Eat Pussy, 1997.
WHITE DRUGS
Significantly later to the AmRep party than the other bands on the list, White Drugs came long enough after the heyday to feel like a nostalgic act. Or at least a second or third wave. White Drugs are what happened to Noise Rock while you were away, not paying attention.
White Drugs AmRep LP Discography
Harlem, 2007
Gold Magic, 2010
NOTE: Harlem was reissued in limited numbers by AmRep, with hand-screened artwork in 2019.
And so ends Phase Two of the AmRep story.
PART THREE: BOUTIQUE FOR BOZOS: 2010 to PRESENT
The third wave of AmRep is personal. Tom takes notable catalogue releases, as well as new records from new bands and gives them a loving, hand-made treatment, the quality of which is unmatched by anyone else I am aware of.
The records aren’t cheap; often $50 is the minimum they cost upon release, with international shipping meaning they’re normally close to $100 a pop for us over in the UK.
But they’re worth it. The runs are so limited they often sell out in seconds, and you know you’ve received something special, something immaculate and something crafted, uniquely by Tom.
The second-hand market for the limited runs is often astronomical. Too many buyers just flip for profit, which has become increasingly irritating to anyone that misses out in the few seconds it takes for the runs to be sold.
For me, this later period of the label has shown that even in a time when next to no one is apparently buying physical copies, if you do it right, people will still spend their money.
AmRep is an exciting label to follow – and a brilliant community to belong to, which is in no small way down to the access that Tom gives the hardcore fans to his work and art.
I have nothing but respect for what he’s managed to achieve artistically, and how he’s managed to make that a worthwhile commercial venture.
In 2015, a feature-length documentary about Tom and the history of AmRep was released; The Color of Noise. If you haven’t seen this already, do so ASAP. The compilation soundtrack is an excellent jumping off point for the label, too.
Of course, AmRep 3.0 has Melvins as a principal client, but there’s much more to it than that. With Melvins covered earlier, here’s a list of bands that have been releasing beautifully packaged works of art on AmRep for the last 15 years or so…
hepa.Titus
hepa.Titus are (just) one of the wonderfully strange creative outlets for Kevin Rutmanis of Cows.
They’ve released an extensive discography, including three LPs on AmRep.
Kevin is aided and abetted in hepa.Titus by Sterling Riley of Cunts, and Paul Christenson of Qui.
That should tell you all you need to know about their sinister, psychedelic and grumbling noise.
Actively hunt down their releases on Rock Is Hell records - they’re all engaging, inventive and surprising. Blue Fat Pussy is a good gateway.
In addition to the LPs listed below, the band released several singles and EPs on AmRep between 2010-15.
hepa.Titus AmRep LP Discography
Follow Me, 2013.
Gettin’ It On, 2014.
FM Warm Weather, 2016.
SEAWHORES
Seawhores are entirely enigmatic. The little information available on the band states that they’ve been creating their DIY noise since 1996.
For a band so obscenely prolific (a dozen documented releases on Discogs, but anecdotally many more besides), they feel incredibly under-served in terms of recognition and adulation. They’ve teamed up with all manner of luminaries – not least of all heroes from Lightning Bolt, Hammerhead and Melvins.
As with hepa.Titus – they’ve released a few records on the like-minded Rock Is Hell records, in Austria, alongside three EPs and one LP on AmRep.
Unique in the progressive musicality of their discordance, at the very least, check out The Last Temptation of Supper, ASAP, which gets surprisingly spacey in places… highly recommended.
Seawhores AmRep LP Discography
The Last Temptation of Supper, 2020
KING BUZZO
We all know Buzzo and his prolific career with Melvins, but starting in 2014, he began creating acoustic music under his own name too.
AmRep and Ipecac have been the main source of these releases – sometimes together – such as Gift of Sacrifice, the acoustic LP Buzzo released with Trevor Dun, in 2020, which came out on Ipecac, but one of the versions was created by Tom with all the AmRep cornerstone artwork treatments.
AmRep also released three EPs which, together, contained the songs from Buzzo’s first acoustic LP, as well as a couple of alternate versions.
King Buzzo AmRep LP Discography
This Machine Kills Artists Vol 1-3, 2014.
Six Pack, 2020.
The Gift of Sacrifice (with Trevor Dunn), 2020.
CHERUBS
Austin’s Cherubs were always an enticing AmRep-adjacent band, whose home was on Trance Syndicate for their first two LPs and singles, between 1991 and 1994.
They split up just before their sophomore LP, Heroin Man was released and reformed in 2014 to much excitement. Since then, they’ve consistently released brilliant records, on Brutal Panda and Relapse.
In 2017, Tom reissued their classic second LP via AmRep, with the full screen-printed treatment, as well as a “stock” non-fancy, non-screen-printed version.
Cherubs AmRep LP Discography
Heroin Man, 2017
LYDIA LUNCH
Lydia Lunch was responsible for some of the most interesting NYC underground releases in the 80s – and was clearly who Courtney Love decided to base her entire personality and career upon, with less artistic integrity.
Lydia teamed up with everyone from The Birthday Party and Michael Gira to Jim Thirlwell, Marc Almond and Sonic Youth.
There is a mountain of work to dig into and discover. She also hosts Lydian Spin – a regular podcast, upon which Hazelmyer has been a guest, more than once.
Queen of Siam was her first post-Teenage Jesus and the Jerks LP and, as such, is a post-punk, no-wave milestone, well-deserving of a deluxified Haze XXL reissue.
Fanboy Hazelmyer also gave the self-titled Teenage Jesus and The Jerks EP a re-release and had his own band, Halo of Flies team-up with Lydia in 2008 for When I’m Loaded, a 7” release with a bonus CD of three extra tracks, on AmRep.
Lydia Lunch AmRep LP Discography
Queen of Siam, 2017
MR. PHYLZZZ
Chicago’s Mr. Phylzzz are Hazelmyer’s contemporary love affair.
And it’s no surprise; their music bears more than a passing resemblance to peak period AmRep tropes – brutal, discordant, grinding, in your face, beautifully unfettered free-bowling riffage.
But where My. Phylzzz prove themselves beyond any lazy comparisons are with the screeching vocals and incredibly articulate guitar playing of Clinton Jacob. One moment he is squeaking like a rat in a trap, the next he is bellowing with a clean howl and then a distorted scream.
The music itself echoes that schizophrenia – but there’s always a grounding in the great writing, which feels like it pushes the boundaries of expectation with every note. Marvelous.
Mr. Phylzzz AmRep LP Discography
Penitent Curtis, 2019.
Cancel Culture Club, 2022.
Fat Chance, 2023.
IRON FIST
Iron Fist was a Minneapolis hardcore band, formed in 1984, featuring Tom’s brother, Tim, on drums, at least for their first tape release, Crucify Me.
Following Tim’s untimely death, Tom released Iron Fist’s debut on vinyl via AmRep in 2024, in tribute. Limited to 350 copies, across two variants, at time of writing, this is the most recent non-AmRep-reissue that’s had the Haze XXL treatment.
Iron Fist AmRep LP Discography
Crucify Me, 2024.
INTO THE VORTEX: 2025 –
Who knows what the future holds for Amphetamine Reptile and Thomas Hazelmyer?
His gift for artistic re-invention and his ability to casually drop mind-bending music in the most beautiful hand-crafted manner, as well as his passion for just creating, suggests that there will always be more to come that offers his fan-base new delicacies to feverishly digest.
I hope this piece accurately conveys the enormous mountain of vinyl brilliance the label has released. It’s a somewhat convoluted history, so apologies if I missed something out – if there’s a non-comp vinyl LP that’s not included in the discography, or if I’ve made a glaring error, please don’t hesitate to let me know in the comments and I’ll update accordingly.
For anyone that got this far, thank you - and a healthy and happy 2025 to you and yours!
Until next time, Ave, Ultra!
What you crafted here is a perfect answer to some of my contemporaries, who question what anyone needs a label for. All these bands were incredibly lucky to have a Tom Hazlemyer to believe in them, and give them a place to belong and an audience who would listen + support them, bc he did.
May a hundred more like him, and like you, arise again soon.
After putting my main man Jesse Dayton with Samantha Fish (ugh I still hate it) I resent my love for Jon Spencer. But, then the Bobby Lees cancel that out.