Southern Lord Records

Southern Lord is an American heavy metal record label that was founded in 1998 by Greg Anderson.

Southern Lord
FoundedApril 1998
FounderGreg Anderson
Distributor(s)Caroline (United States), Southern (Europe)
GenreExtreme metal, experimental, heavy metal, hardcore punk
Country of originUnited States
LocationLos Angeles, California
Official websitewww.southernlord.com

Initially, Southern Lord specialized in what could broadly be classified as experimental metal, particularly the slow-moving doom metal, stoner rock, and drone metal subgenres. Later on, the label expanded its line-up to include artists from the black metal subgenre. They have also released albums by hardcore punk and crust punk bands.

History

Before co-founding their own record label, Greg Anderson and Stephen O'Malley were friends and bandmates in Washington state mid-90s bands Thorr's Hammer and Burning Witch. In 1998, the pair formed a new band named Sunn O))) and moved to Los Angeles. They started Southern Lord as a way to have control over the releases of their own recordings.[1]

The first release on the new label was the CD version (previous released as a cassette) of Thorr’s Hammer‘s "Dommedagsnatt," a doom/death metal album with Norwegian lyrics. The second release was Burning Witch‘s "Crippled Lucifer", a compilation CD of the band's first two EPs.[2]

With their third catalogue, Southern Lord branched out to release a compilation album from Scott "Wino" Weinrich's doom band, The Obsessed. "Incarnate" was the first release to bear the Southern Lord label that did not include Anderson and O’Malley. Soon after, Anderson's next band, Goatsnake, was born, adding another name to the roster of the doomed. As for “Wino”, he went on to be involved with the label through various bands such as Saint Vitus, Place of Skulls and a solo album in 2009.

2002 saw the first Southern Lord release of Anderson and O’Malley‘s latest band, Sunn O))). The band was later reviewed several times by Ben Ratliff of The New York Times.[3][4][5]

During the new decade the Southern Lord roster continued to grow with notable doom releases Warhorse’s "As Heaven Turns to Ash," Place of Skulls "Nailed and With Vision" and albums from Anderson's band Goatsnake. The label also expanded its musical pallet releasing music by Darkest Hour, Orcustus and Dave Grohl‘s side project Probot.

In 2005, the band Earth joined the Southern Lord family, continuing the label interest in drone and doom music.

Between 2005 and 2006, Southern Lord saw just shy of 20 black metal releases associated with the label. With a focus primarily on black metal with dark ambient undertones. Releases included Xasthur, Leviathan, Lurker of Chalice and the ‘supergroup‘ Twilight, whose eponymous debut was released on Southern Lord. Relationships were also formed with international bands Deathspell Omega, Urgehal and Striborg.

The later part of the decade saw releases from Earth, Sunn O))) (including the heavily lauded Monoliths & Dimensions), and a series of Boris 7″s to go along with the album "Smile." [6]

Artists

This is a list of the artists who have recorded for Southern Lord Records.

Current roster

Former bands, One-offs, etc.

See also

References
  1. "About". Southern Lord Recordings. 13 February 2018. Retrieved 7 January 2021.
  2. "Burning Witch". Southern Lord Recordings. Southern Lord. 10 January 2018. Retrieved 11 January 2021.
  3. Ratliff, Ben (23 September 2009). "Two Bands, a Million Decibels (Published 2009)". The New York Times. Retrieved 11 January 2021.
  4. Ratliff, Ben (2 December 2015). "Review: In 'Kannon,' From Sunn O))), Brevity and Austerity (Published 2015)". The New York Times. Retrieved 11 January 2021.
  5. Ratliff, Ben (3 September 2012). "Think You Know Loud? Try Throbbing Sound as the Body Vibrates (Published 2012)". The New York Times. Retrieved 11 January 2021.
  6. http://ilistensoyoudonthaveto.com/2011/03/21/doom-to-drone-to-diversity-a-profile-of-los-angeles-extreme-experimental-label-southern-lord-records/
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