{"product_id":"deconstructing-towers-the-story-of-hydra-head-records","title":"Deconstructing Towers: The Story of Hydra Head Records","description":"\u003ch3\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #ff2a00;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTHIS IS A PREORDER. ITEM IS DUE TO BE RELEASED IN OR AROUND EARLY DECEMBER 2026. \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #ff2a00;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eALL ITEMS ORDERED TOGETHER WILL BE CHARGED AT THE TIME OF THE ORDER AND WILL SHIP TOGETHER WHEN EVERYTHING IS IN STOCK.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eForged from an uncompromising vision and bound only by handshakes, \u003cstrong\u003eHydra Head Records\u003c\/strong\u003e’ trailblazing, nuanced aesthetic redefined what was possible for an extreme music label. Founded by future Isis frontman and Neurosis guitarist\/vocalist Aaron Turner, Hydra Head rose around Boston’s metal and hardcore scenes of the mid-’90s, proceeding to shroud genre-defining records of the era in artistically fearless artwork and packaging. Within a decade, the label relocated to Los Angeles where the lights were brighter, but the descent came from much greater heights.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003eThe new Decibel Books release,\u003cstrong\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e Deconstructing Towers: The Story of Hydra Head Records\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e, authored by longtime music journalist and Great Falls bassist Shane Mehling, chronicles Turner’s nearly two-decade journey running Hydra Head through detailed accounts from the label’s artists, his former bandmates and ex-employees who played pivotal roles in its incomparable history.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAt over 500 pages (in addition to a 32-page color section), including countless rare and previously unpublished images, and featuring exclusive stunning new cover art from Turner himself, \u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDeconstructing Towers\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e illustrates the once untold history of one of extreme music’s most influential and revolutionary record labels.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'San Francisco', 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif; font-size: 0.875rem;\"\u003e“Hydra Head Records was a complicated, gratifying, frustrating and ultimately life-changing enterprise to be a part of,” says Aaron Turner. “Central to its existence was a dedication to musical freedom and creative integrity, coupled with a focus on fostering friendships through collaboration. Though the label fell short of those lofty intentions from time to time (and to be frank was a downright mess in certain departments), 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.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e“I am grateful to Mr Mehling for diving headlong into the detritus left in the wake of Hydra Head’s existence, to all the folks who took the time to talk with him about it, and who made it what is was in the first place: a sprawling, ungovernable, ferocious and (hopefully) endearing beast.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'San Francisco', 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif; font-size: 0.875rem;\"\u003ePre-orders are live now with an expected ship date of early December, you can \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.decibelmagazine.com\/2026\/09\/18\/pre-order-deconstructing-towers-the-story-of-hydra-head-records-from-decibel-books-read-an-exclusive-excerpt-now\/\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eread an \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'San Francisco', 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif; font-size: 0.875rem;\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.decibelmagazine.com\/2026\/09\/18\/pre-order-deconstructing-towers-the-story-of-hydra-head-records-from-decibel-books-read-an-exclusive-excerpt-now\/\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eexclusive preview\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e, which takes readers back to the early 2000s as a major label bidding war for Hydra Head's homegrown heroes Cave In was underway on the strength their breakthrough album \u003cem\u003eJupiter\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem style=\"font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'San Francisco', 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif; font-size: 0.875rem;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDeconstructing Towers \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'San Francisco', 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif; font-size: 0.875rem;\"\u003eincludes exclusive new interviews with:\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong style=\"font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'San Francisco', 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif; font-size: 0.875rem;\"\u003eISIS • CAVE IN • BOTCH • CONVERGE • PELICAN • TORCHE • JESU • OLD MAN GLOOM • XASTHUR • THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN • DISCORDANCE AXIS • AGORAPHOBIC NOSEBLEED • KEELHAUL • KHANATE • BIG BUSINESS • DAUGHTERS • DROWNINGMAN \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'San Francisco', 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif; font-size: 0.875rem;\"\u003e• and many more\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #ff2a00;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTHIS IS A PREORDER. ITEM IS DUE TO BE RELEASED IN OR AROUND EARLY DECEMBER 2026. \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #ff2a00;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eALL ITEMS ORDERED TOGETHER WILL BE CHARGED AT THE TIME OF THE ORDER AND WILL SHIP TOGETHER WHEN EVERYTHING IS IN STOCK.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #ff2a00;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePLEASE PLACE MULTIPLE ORDERS IF YOU WISH TO HAVE ITEMS SHIPPED AS THEY ARRIVE.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #ff2a00;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePLEASE NOTE THAT DUE TO MANUFACTURING PROCESSES, THE ACTUAL PRODUCT MAY VARY FROM MOCKED-UP IMAGES.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #ff2a00;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eALL DETAILS, INCLUDING RELEASE DATE, ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Decibel Magazine","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":55629772914987,"sku":"7257666","price":44.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0037\/0342\/files\/dBBooks_DeconstructingTowersFRONT.png?v=1789576675","url":"https:\/\/store.decibelmagazine.com\/products\/deconstructing-towers-the-story-of-hydra-head-records","provider":"The Decibel Store","version":"1.0","type":"link"}