Amphetamine Reptile Records


Amphetamine Reptile Records is a record label which was founded in 1986 by US Marine Tom Hazelmyer in Washington state. The label specializes in noise rock and also released Strap It On, the debut album by alternative metal band Helmet which sold more than 40,000 records. According to Hazelmyer, the success of the album was vital to keeping AmRep going throughout the 1990s, as it "helped support the other things that sold less." The label was the subject of the 2014 documentary The Color of Noise.

History

Hazelmyer originally started the label to release records by his band, Halo of Flies. Eventually the label's roster expanded to include releases by Helmet, the Melvins, the Cows, Helios Creed, Chokebore, Servotron and others. Hazelmyer later moved the label to Minneapolis. Today the label is used by the Melvins and H•O•F on occasion to release limited edition 7" singles. These releases are generally noted for their Linocut artwork, hand carved by Hazelmyer, their limited availability and their highly sought after nature as collector's items.
Much of the AmRep back catalog is now out of print, although many of the releases are available in digital download format.
On May 13th, 2020 Tom Hazelmyer participated in an in-depth interview about the label on Conan Neutron's Protonic Reversal.

Artists