Aaron Turner

Aaron Turner (born November 5, 1977) is an American musician, singer, graphic artist, and founder of label Hydra Head Records. He is known for being the vocalist and guitarist for the post-metal band Isis from 1997 to 2010. In 2014, he formed the band Sumac. Turner joined the post-metal band Neurosis in 2024.

He has also participated in several other bands and projects such as Old Man Gloom, Lotus Eaters, Greymachine and Split Cranium, a collaboration with Jussi Lehtisalo of Finnish band Circle who toured with Isis in 2009.

Raised in New Mexico, Turner moved to the Boston area, where he attended art school and formed Isis and Hydra Head. In June 2003, Turner moved operations of both the band and label to Los Angeles, California. Turner now resides in Vashon, WA which is also the base of operations for Hydra Head and his various other activities.

In partnership with his wife Faith Coloccia, Turner founded another record label, SIGE, in March 2011. It has gone on to release material from his musical collaboration with Coloccia, Mamiffer. SIGE is distributed by The Business.

Personal life

Turner was born in Springfield, Massachusetts on November 5, 1977.

Around 1997–99, Turner was living with future Isis bassist and co-founder Jeff Caxide; until this point, he had been a member of the bands Union Suit and Hollomen. Isis was formed in 1997 out of a dissatisfaction with said bands' musical direction and Turner and Caxide's respective degrees of creative control. they went on to wed in September of the same year.

Equipment

Touring with Isis in 2007, Turner used two different guitars: a 1976 Fender Telecaster Custom (black), and a 1975 Fender Telecaster Deluxe (brown), played through various effects (his pedalboard layout changed every gig depending on what songs the band decided to play that night), a VHT/Fryette Pitbull Ultra Lead, and two 4x12 Sunn cabinets. He has also acquired a custom guitar from the Electrical Guitar Company (as did fellow Isis guitarist Michael Gallagher).

In the past, Turner has also used a Gibson Les Paul Standard, PRS CE24, and has played through Sunn, Mesa Boogie, and Mackie amplifiers.

When playing with Isis, Turner and his fellow guitarists usually tuned their instruments (low to high) B-F#-B-E-G#-B, to achieve a heavier sound. They also used other tunings, though less frequently, such as F# (octave below)-F#-B-E-G#-B. When playing with Sumac he uses two distinct tunings being A-F#-B-D-F#-B and A#-F-A#-D-F#-A#.

Musical influences

Turner cites Pink Floyd, King Crimson, Godflesh, Neurosis, and Led Zeppelin as influences on Isis' sound. However, he points to the electronica, krautrock and hip hop genres as shaping the group's rhythmic focus and use of sampling, as well as their occasional digressions into ambient passages. He has also listed Melvins, Jimi Hendrix, Swans, Keiji Haino, Oxbow, Earth, and Coil as among his favorite artists, and has noted that Megadeth, Metallica, and Slayer were important to his early interests in the guitar. In addition, he has noted Black Sabbath as an influence during his formative years.

Discography

Solo

Interminable Conniption (2019), The Tapeworm / Sige Repression's Blossom (2019), Sige The Occupation of Selfishness (Single) (2021) To Speak (2022), Trost

With Daniel Menche

NOX (2017), Sige

With Doolhof

Doolhof (2020), Sige

With Drawing Voices

Drawing Voices (2007), Hydra Head Records

With Greymachine

"Vultures Descend" (2009), Hydra Head Records Disconnected (2009), Hydra Head Records

As a guest contributor

27 – Let the Light in (2004), Hydra Head Records Turner contributes vocals to the track "April". Boris – Heavy Rocks (2011), Sargent House Turner contributes to the track "Aileron". Chelsea Wolfe – Hiss Spun (2017), Sargent House Guest vocals on the track "Vex" Converge – Converge / Napalm Death, self-released Guest on "Wolverine Blues" (originally performed by Entombed). Dekathlon – The Thin Road 7″ (2019), Ektro Records Guest vocals and guitar Full of Hell – Trumpeting Ecstasy (2017), Profound Lore Records Guest vocals on "Crawling Back To God" Lustmord – O T H E R (2008), Hydra Head Records Turner contributes guitar to the track "Element". Pelican – What We All Come to Need (2009), Southern Lord Records Turner contributes guest guitar to the title track. Puscifer – "V" Is for Viagra. The Remixes (2008), Puscifer Entertainment Turner provides the track "Trekka (The Great Unwashed Mix)". Samuel Kerridge – The I is Nothing (2018), Downwards Records guest on "Propagates of Desire". Ringfinger – Decimal (2007), Little Black Cloud Records Turner contributes vocals and guitar to the track "Waving Good-Bye". Wolves in the Throne Room – Turner provides chants on "Subterranean Initiation" (2011)

Artwork

Turner's artwork tends toward the abstract or surreal, often depicting strange or fantastic landscapes and structures. His work on album covers, concert posters, and other music-related graphics is distinct from typical work in heavy metal or rock graphic design. In part, this may be because of the way that Turner views his objectives in creating designs, which he has discussed on his blog in response to criticism of the clarity of text on one of his concert posters:

I also generally reject the idea that posters and album sleeves and T-shirts have to be marketing tools with overly obvious type/graphics, as opposed to more artistically oriented pieces that invoke the true spirit of the music they are intended to represent. if the bands being represented aren't writing 3 minute pop songs with inane choruses that beat the listener into submission, why should the representative graphics serve that purpose? i like to think the audience that follows these bands isn't the type of audience that requires overly simplified/commercial imagery and type in order to draw their attention to the "product". it is precisely the type of corporate design mentality as exemplified by the statement above that i have striven to avoid with what i do in the realm of music related graphics. we're not trying to sell our music to wal-mart shoppers, so if you expect our graphic personality to fall in line with what you were taught in design school about corporate branding and "truly effective" type and illustration techniques you shall be continually disappointed. clean type has its time and place, but this poster which is meant to showcase the personality of our label and by extension the show itself isn't it. music related design can be art simply beyond the idea of selling something...

In 2008, Turner's artwork was featured in a FIFTY24SF Gallery group show entitled Catalyst. Turner has created album covers and liner note artwork for a variety of artists and bands, many of whom are signed to Hydra Head Records or Tortuga Recordings.

27 – Let the Light In 5ive – 5ive, Telestic Disfracture Aereogramme – Seclusion Agoraphobic Nosebleed – PCP Torpedo, Frozen Corpse Stuffed with Dope A Life Once Lost – The Fourth Plague: Flies Beecher – Breaking the Fourth Wall Bloodlet – Entheogen Burst – Prey on Life Cable – Northern Failures Cave In – Antenna, Planets of Old, Jupiter, White Silence Cavity – Laid Insignificant Clouds – We Are Above You Coalesce – There is Nothing New Under the Sun Converge – Petitioning the Empty Sky, When Forever Comes Crashing Craw – Bodies for Strontium 90 The Dillinger Escape Plan – The Dillinger Escape Plan Drowningman – Drowningman Still Loves You The Dukes of Nothing – War & Wine Eugene Robinson – Fight Hematovore – Untitled The Hollomen – The Hollomen The Hope conspiracy – demo Isis – Mosquito Control, The Red Sea, Sawblade, Celestial, SGNL>05, Oceanic, Live.01, Panopticon, Live.02, Oceanic Remixes and Reinterpretations, Live.03, Live.04, Clearing the Eye, In the Absence of Truth, Shades of the Swarm, "Not in Rivers, but in Drops", Wavering Radiant, Isis / Melvins James Plotkin's Atomsmasher – Atomsmasher Jesu – Silver, Lifeline, Conqueror, Jesu, Why Are We Not Perfect? Jodis – Secret House Johnny Truant – The Repercussions of a Badly Planned Suicide KEN mode – Mongrel Kid Kilowatt – Guitar Method Knut – Terraformer, Wonder Mare – Self-Titled EP Milligram – Hello Motherfucker Mistle Thrush – Drunk with You Neurosis – Sovereign, Neurosis & Jarboe (remastered) Old Man Gloom – Meditations in B, Seminar II: The Holy Rites of Primitivism Regressionism, NO Panic – Dying For It Pelican – Australasia, The Fire in Our Throats Will Beckon the Thaw, City of Echoes Premonitions of War – Left in Kowloon Rosetta – The Galilean Satellites Torche – Meanderthal Tusk – Get Ready Xasthur – All Reflections Drained Zozobra – Harmonic Tremors, Bird of Prey