The caverns of underground metal are crowded with lost souls crying out for your attention. It’s literally impossible to notice each in turn and give them their due—no matter how deserving they may be. When you’re trying to write about this kind of stuff you will burn out before you hit bedrock. It’s almost guaranteed.
That’s why it’s extremely helpful to have someone else with their ears to the tombstones who can help you divine your way towards the most savage, gruesome, and strange. This is what I think myself and others appreciate most about Mike Juliano of Horror Pain Gore Death Productions; he has a real ear for the putrid and punishing. More than most other underground labels, the metal that Mike finds and puts out on his label is some of the most consistently strange, wickedly weird, and disgustingly deadly heavy metal out there.
A lot of it is stuff that I didn’t realize existed and now don’t know if I could live without. Because we at New Noise love the metal that Mike digs up for us and our fellow heshers week after week, I reached out to him for an interview to learn how he stays so consistent.
Interview conducted via email on August 4, 2021. It has been edited lightly for the sake of clarity.
How was 2020 for HPGD? Did it impact the label much, and if so, how?
Twenty-twenty actually ended up being a great year for HPGD as a label. Personally, I was very bummed without live music, but the positive was that everyone was at home fiending like I was. So, a lot of fans discovered HPGD, and also bands were writing new material, new bands forming, etc.
You’ve mentioned that you wanted your label to be a home for extreme metal that is doesn’t have a home elsewhere. Could you expound on this mission, and how you work to achieve it in 2021?
My goal with HPGD is to work with bands I personally love and help them grow and increase exposure. I don’t seek out bands that have a certain threshold of sales, prior history, or anything like that. It’s a great feeling to introduce the world to a band that’s awesome. In 2021, I have been trying to work with as many bands as possible, and it’s been a loaded year with many more releases to come!
What labels inspired you to first start HPGD? Do you see yourself as continuing their legacy?
When I first started HPGD, I did not expect it to turn into a full-time label, but things quickly came together. I’m very lucky to have formed the label when I did back in 2008 as the landscape of music was way different than it is now.
This was before the digital boom of Bandcamp/Spotify, the vinyl resurgence, etc. Razorback Records is one label that HPGD is commonly referenced with, Hells Headbangers would be another one that comes up often. Wild Rags, Seraphic Decay and JL America come to mind, and of course the ’90s era of Relapse Records.
What have you learned while working for other labels that has helped you while operating your own?
Working for Relapse Records has helped me learn other aspects of the business; sometimes it’s what not to do vs. what to do with a release. With HPGD I do not follow trends or the textbook way to do things, I’ve found that doing it my own way works best for both bands and the label.
Integrity seems to be a pretty strong part of the label’s ethos. How do you maintain this while the label continues to grow?
Yes, it is a huge thing for me, and I’m very happy with where the label is currently. The A&R process will not change and I’m very happy with the current rate of releases which is two-to-three per month on average.
Your label seems to focus mostly on CDs and t-shirts as far as physical items. Why is that?
HPGD has done a lot of seven-inch releases and also a few LPs, but the current state of vinyl is very difficult. Plants are backed up for nine months; production prices keep going up … it’s a very hip and trendy market.
The HPGD fan base are die-hard music fans, and CDs are not only cheaper for the fans but can also be manufactured quickly. T-shirts were something that I wanted to introduce for a while with HPGD, but for other merch items, it’s important to buy directly from the band. It’s important that the band be successful with their own sales as well as HPGD.
Does the demand for CDs seem uniquely strong within the metal community?
It definitely is a unique beast with underground metal and CDs. Most of the world streams only these days, and the ones that do collect music are hopping on the vinyl bandwagon. HPGD has a lot of repeat customers who continue to buy CDs all the time. I do not think that larger metal labels have that same loyalty, though; they want vinyl.
How do you discover most of the bands that you eventually sign? What does that dialog look like?
My favorite way to discover a band is through a live show. It’s been very tough without live music this past year, but hopefully, things come back full-force, safely. Demo submissions are quite common; sometimes I discovered a band through Bandcamp, a friend recommendation, etc.
I am a music fiend so I’m always checking out as much as I can. I’m very friendly and open to different ways to do business so things come together very quickly usually. I’m also very flexible with timelines so bands don’t have the same pressure as other labels tend to put on them.
Extreme metal can get a bad rap as being kind of samey, but I’m consistently surprised at the variety of sounds and approaches I encounter from bands on your roster. What do you think people misunderstand the most about extreme metal? Is there anything that you wish people understood about extreme metal that might help them appreciate it more?
Thank you! I have always tried to not worry about what other people think of HPGD releases so the genres can really vary. When people first hear the label name they sometimes mistaken that it’s all death metal.
Then they dig into the releases and can hear the difference, the free year-end samplers are great for people to get a taste of the variety on HPGD. To be honest, I don’t think there need to be more people who are into extreme metal, I’m very proud that so many people are diehards. And when it comes to opinions, to each their own … no censorship!
Are there any shows you are hoping to check out this year now that things are opening back up?
Yes, actually this week, Covered In Sores will be playing a house show in Philadelphia which I’m very excited for. This will be the first Philly show I’ve been to since January of 2020. The Decibel Metal And Beer Fest is another one that I am very excited to see.
What is in store for you and HPGD in the second half of 2021?
At least 10 more releases are set to be announced before the end of the year, including an epic death metal compilation showcasing some of the best bands in the world going now, can’t give too many spoilers but this will be a great one.
We asked Mike to pick out three albums from his catalog that he felt represented the sounds of the label. His picks and explanations are below:
Coffins – Colossal Hole 10″
Coffins were one of the first bands I worked with during the first year of HPGD as a label. They are a prime example of a band that does things their way, and personify what Death/Doom should be. I’ve continued to work with Coffins multiple times, and am proud they are currently signed to Relapse Records.
Shlak – Kill Them All And Let Shlak Sort Them Out
As a fan of underground metal first and foremost, this release is a classic. Shlak is now known as a successful Death Match wrestler, but his bands like Eat The Turnbuckle and Crack House are prime examples of the brutality HPGD welcomes.
Imperial Slaughter – …Vile Slobs
Grindcore has always been a huge part of HPGD, the mentality and aggression is something that makes live shows amazing. Imperial Slaughter blend all styles of extreme music and the result is a barrage of brutality that is a must listen.
All images courtesy of HPGD Productions.
