Hammerhead

Seattle got all the press, but in mid-'90s indie circles, Minneapolis, long a vanguard city for forward-thinking punk, was the capitol of abrasive rock. Hammerhead, one of defining label Amphetamine Reptile’s biggest, loudest acts, produced a vertigo-inducing ugly sound on a par with kindred spirits Cows, Tar, and the Melvins. Their debut, 1992’s ETHEREAL KILLER, dwelled upon the darker impulses, but the ante was upped, musically if not lyrically, on 1994’s INTO THE VORTEX. Their 1996 final album, DUH, THE BIG CITY, closed out Hammerhead’s career with a more experimental approach, and founding members Jeff Mooridian and Paul Erickson continued to play together as Vaz.