SXSW Reviews

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Hydra Head Records

Hydra Head Records owner and Isis frontman Aaron Turner said his label's showcase is "like giving the finger to the rest of the industry." That's obvious given his label's latest batch of releases. The latest from Jesu, Conqueror, is another sliver off 2006's Silver EP: shimmering shoegaze metal, where cascading waterfalls of synths crash on jagged mountains of guitars and Justin K. Broadrick's vocals appear like random thoughts slipping through the cracks. Utterly beautiful. The two-nation army and newest members of the Melvins, Big Business, tear down the floodgates with Here Comes the Waterworks, the follow-up to their like-minded debut, Head for the Shallow. Jared Warren delivers a damming wall of bass while drummer Coady Willis fills and kills, leaving seven-minute instrumental closer "Another Beautiful Day in the Pacific Northwest" to wallow in the aftermath. Octave Museum, the third LP from Stephen Brodsky, former Cave In frontman and Converge bassist, displays an array of experimental indie rock. "Spirals in Her Eyes" and "Voice Electric" showcase winding guitars behind Brodsky's effortless falsetto, while "Swingin in the Sky" and "Kid Defender" sport pop sensibilities. Just another beautiful night at South by Southwest. (Thursday, March 15, Emo's Annex, 7:30pm)