Warhead Records was an independent record label based in Sydney, Australia that specialised in releasing albums by Australian heavy metal bands. It was formed in 1992 by British migrant Brad Sims and Julie Martin (now Sims) who began by selling demo tapes of local bands at heavy metal shows at Sydney's Lewisham Hotel. In February 1993 Warhead Records released its first recording, the EP Atavism by Sydney doom/death band Cruciform, a group Sims was also managing. This was followed six months later by Neophobia's Fear of the Future. By the beginning of 1996 the label had an extensive roster of Australian bands from across the heavy metal spectrum. Most of its signings were from Sydney, although they included several non-Sydney acts on their label such as Psychrist from Canberra, Manticore from Wagga Wagga, Misery from Brisbane and Epitaph from Perth. Along with its CD releases, Warhead also acted as a demo distribution service for a number of acts. In 1995 several of these were collected for the compilation album Warhead Records Vol. 1.
Warhead was run in tandem with the Hammerhouse, a CD store in the Sydney suburb of Parramatta which sold underground heavy metal music and other merchandise from around the world. In Your Face magazine also came out in 1993 and lasted for 9 issues, it was resurrected again in 1998 and another four issues were released.
In mid-1999, with several albums still awaiting release, Warhead Records ceased trading. The remaining artists were forced to seek their own avenue of release. The label officially wound up in 2001. The block which had contained the Hammerhouse was demolished in 2005.
Releases
Title Artist Format Year of release "Atavism" Cruciform EP 1993 Fear of the Future Neophobia Studio album 1993 Opus One Tscabeze Studio album 1994 "The Abysmal Fiend" Psychrist EP 1994 Bonsai Frozen Doberman Studio album 1994 "Mind Control" Epitaph EP 1995 "Paradox" Cruciform Single (Cassette) 1995 "Spawnography" Blathudah EP 1995 Rise From Darkness Eezee Studio album 1995 Warhead Records Vol. 1 Various Compilation album 1995 "Genocide" Genocide EP 1996 Transcendual Consciousness Killengod Studio album 1996 Integrating the Extreme Manticore Studio album 1996 Drawn and Quartered Cohort Studio album 1996 Nothing Neophobia Studio album 1996 "Quarantine" Volatile EP 1996 "Hypocrisy" Cryogenic Single (Cassette) 1996 Thorns of Impurity Lord Kaos Studio album 1996 Revel in Blasphemy Misery Studio album 1997 Structure Mortality Studio album 1997 Suspended Animation Cryogenic Studio album 1997 "The Final Wish" Avrigus EP 1998 Into the Ancient Moon Killengod Studio album 1998 Emissions of Reality Deadspawn Studio Album 1999 Angel of the Sixth Order Armoured Angel Studio album 1999 Resurrection Dungeon Studio album 1999
External links Warhead Records – Tribute channel on YouTube