Aaron Turner (born November 5, 1977) is an American musician, singer, graphic artist, and founder of label

Hydra Head Records Hydra Head Records was an independent record label that specializes in extreme metal music, founded in New Mexico by Aaron Turner (the frontman of Isis) in 1993. It had another imprint, Hydra Head Noise Industries, which specialized in experiment ...

. He is most widely known for his role as guitarist and vocalist for the

post-metal Post-metal is a music genre rooted in heavy metal but exploring approaches beyond metal conventions. It emerged in the 1990s with bands such as Neurosis and Godflesh, who transformed metal texture through experimental composition. In a way simil ...

bands

SUMAC Sumac ( or ), also spelled sumach, is any of about 35 species of flowering plants in the genus ''Rhus'' and related genera in the cashew family (Anacardiaceae). Sumacs grow in subtropical and temperate regions throughout the world, including Eas ...

and

Isis Isis (; ''Ēse''; ; Meroitic: ''Wos'' 'a''or ''Wusa''; Phoenician: 𐤀𐤎, romanized: ʾs) was a major goddess in ancient Egyptian religion whose worship spread throughout the Greco-Roman world. Isis was first mentioned in the Old Kingd ...

, while also participating in several other bands and projects such as

Old Man Gloom Old Man Gloom is an extreme metal band originally formed in Santa Fe, New Mexico, but now based in Massachusetts. The group, formed by Aaron Turner of Isis and Santos Montano, expanded to become a sort of supergroup in the Boston hardcore and ...

Lotus Eaters In Greek mythology, the lotus-eaters ( grc-gre, λωτοφάγοι, lōtophágoi) were a race of people living on an island dominated by the lotus tree, a plant whose botanical identity is uncertain. The lotus fruits and flowers were the primary ...

and Split Cranium, a collaboration with

Jussi Lehtisalo Jussi Lehtisalo (born 1972) is a Finnish bassist. In 1991, he founded Circle, a prolific band drawing influences from heavy metal and krautrock to develop a style of repetitive experimental rock. He also runs a record label, Ektro Records, releas ...

of Finnish band

Circle A circle is a shape consisting of all points in a plane that are at a given distance from a given point, the centre. Equivalently, it is the curve traced out by a point that moves in a plane so that its distance from a given point is const ...

who toured with Isis in 2009. Raised in

New Mexico ) , population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano) , seat = Santa Fe , LargestCity = Albuquerque , LargestMetro = Tiguex , OfficialLang = None , Languages = English, Spanish ( New Mexican), Navajo, Ker ...

, 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 Faith Coloccia is an American artist and musician. She is most known as being the founding member and primary songwriter for the post-rock band Mamiffer. Coloccia has also been a member of Everlovely Lightningheart, Pyramids, House of Low Cultu ...

, Turner founded another record label, SIGE, in March 2011. It has gone on to release material from his musical collaboration with Coloccia,

Mamiffer Mamiffer is an American band based in Seattle, Washington. It started out as a solo project for former Pyramids and Everlovely Lightningheart member Faith Coloccia that later saw several session musicians and collaborators, most consistently Aar ...

. SIGE is distributed by The Business.

Personal life

Turner was born in

Springfield, Massachusetts Springfield is a city in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, United States, and the seat of Hampden County. Springfield sits on the eastern bank of the Connecticut River near its confluence with three rivers: the western Westfield River, the ...

on November 5, 1977. At an early age, his family moved to

, where he was raised. His mother was a teacher "who taught a progressive curriculum" and his father an author, "mainly fnon-fiction". Turner describes his upbringing, surrounded by his parents' writer, artist and photographer friends, as "creatively nurturing". At age 17, he started a company that sold rare punk rock records via mail-order. He later moved to

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

to attend art school at the

School of the Museum of Fine Arts The School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts University (Museum School, SMFA at Tufts, or SMFA; formerly the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston) is the art school of Tufts University, a private research university in Boston, Massachus ...

, and in 1995 began releasing music. By 1997, the

Hydra Head Hydra Head Records was an independent record label that specializes in extreme metal music, founded in New Mexico by Aaron Turner (the frontman of Isis) in 1993. It had another imprint, Hydra Head Noise Industries, which specialized in experiment ...

label was becoming a respectable small record label. Turner describes his early industriousness as being motivated in part by boredom:

I grew up in New Mexico, and there wasn't a whole lot as far as youth culture is concerned. Especially when I started to get interested in
straight edge Straight edge (sometimes abbreviated sXe or signified by XXX or X) is a subculture of hardcore punk whose adherents refrain from using alcohol, tobacco, and other recreational drugs, in reaction to the excesses of punk subculture. For some, thi ...
and wasn't doing drugs anymore, there was really nothing for me to do. So that was like a big reason for me, I suppose, to become really productive. Also, I've never been a really social person. So there's not a lot of time taken up by my social life. And music has always been a very very big part of my life. I guess just a combination of those factors is why everything got started so early.

Around 1997–99, Turner was living with future Isis bassist and co-founder

Jeff Caxide Jeff Caxide is an American bassist, best known for his time with post-metal band Isis, of which he was a founding member and present until its dissolution in 2010. He was also a founding member of Red Sparowes, but left after the release of th ...

; 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. In mid-2009, Turner moved from Los Angeles, where both Isis and Hydra Head Records were based at the time, to

Seattle Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest regio ...

with his then-girlfriend,

; 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 Fender Telecaster Custom is a model of electric guitar made by Fender. History During the 1950s and early 1960s, Fender's twangy single-coil sound enjoyed considerable popularity. This began to wane by the mid-1960s as new stars like Eric Clap ...

(black), and a 1975

Fender Telecaster Deluxe The Fender Telecaster Deluxe is a solid-body electric guitar originally produced from 1972 to 1981, and re-issued by Fender multiple times starting in 2004. History The popularity of heavy rock in the late 1960s led Fender to re-think its str ...

(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 Sunn (stylized in all lowercase) amplifiers was a brand of musical instrument amplifiers based in Tualatin, Oregon, United States. History In early 1963, the Kingsmen, a band based in Portland, Oregon, became known for their hit version of ...

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 The Gibson Les Paul is a solid body electric guitar that was first sold by the Gibson Guitar Corporation in 1952. The guitar was designed by factory manager John Huis and his team with input from and endorsement by guitarist Les Paul. Its typi ...

Standard, PRS CE24, and has played through

Mesa Boogie Mesa/Boogie (also known as Mesa Engineering) is an American company in Petaluma, California, that manufactures amplifiers and other accessories for guitars and basses. It has been in operation since 1969. Mesa was started by Randall Smith as a ...

, and

Mackie Mackie is an American professional audio products brand. Founded in Seattle in 1988 by Greg Mackie as a manufacturer of affordable and versatile compact pro audio mixers, Mackie is the primary product line of LOUD Technologies. History 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. In 2016, Turner described the live rig he used with SUMAC as consisting of two custom-built guitars from the

Electrical Guitar Company The Electrical Guitar Company (also EGC) is a United States-based manufacturer of all-aluminium and aluminium-neck electric guitars and bass guitars. Operated by machinist and luthier Kevin Burkett, it produces limited run and custom designed in ...

. Both have lucite bodies and aluminum necks, and custom-wound wide frequency range pickups. The newer of the two—a prototype for a signature model—has a slightly flatter fingerboard radius than the older instrument. On a tour of the Eastern US, Turner was using an

Orange Orange most often refers to: *Orange (fruit), the fruit of the tree species '' Citrus'' × ''sinensis'' ** Orange blossom, its fragrant flower *Orange (colour), from the color of an orange, occurs between red and yellow in the visible spectrum * ...

Dual Dark 100 amplifier head with a slaved Fryette Two/Ninety/Two power amp. Both heads drove Orange and Marshall cabinets, though Turner claimed to have no strong preferences for particular speaker cabinets. While recording, Turner prefers to use a Fryette Pitbull Ultra Lead, an amp model he's used consistently since his work in Isis. Turner described using a variety of effects pedals in his live rig. Specifically, he runs a

BOSS Boss may refer to: Occupations * Supervisor, often referred to as boss * Air boss, more formally, air officer, the person in charge of aircraft operations on an aircraft carrier * Crime boss, the head of a criminal organization * Fire boss, ...

TU-3 Chromatic Tuner, a

Death By Audio Death By Audio was a warehouse space on the first floor of an industrial building in the Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York. The warehouse took its name from the boutique effects pedal company, Death By Audio, based in the space. Th ...

Apocalypse fuzz, a MASF fuzz, a Strymon BlueSky reverb (which he described as the one essential pedal in his rig), a

TC Electronics TC Electronic (sometimes stylized as t.c. electronic) is a Danish audio equipment company that designs and imports guitar effects, bass amplification, computer audio interfaces, audio plug-in software, live sound equalisers, studio and post-pr ...

Ditto Looper X2, and an

EHX Electro-Harmonix (also commonly referred to as EHX) is a New York City-based company that makes electronic audio processors and sells rebranding, rebranded vacuum tubes. The company was founded by Mike Matthews in 1968. It is best known for a ...

Forty-Five Thousand sampler (used to trigger preset samples during performance). Turner prefers a Heil PR20 vocal microphone. 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 Pink Floyd are an English rock band formed in London in 1965. Gaining an early following as one of the first British psychedelic music, psychedelic groups, they were distinguished by their extended compositions, sonic experimentation, philo ...

King Crimson King Crimson are a progressive rock band formed in 1968 in London, England. The band draws inspiration from a wide variety of music, incorporating elements of classical, jazz, folk, heavy metal, gamelan, industrial, electronic, experime ...

Godflesh Godflesh are an English industrial metal band from Birmingham. The group formed in 1982 under the title Fall of Because but did not release any complete music until 1988 when Justin Broadrick (guitar, vocals and programming) and G. C. Gre ...

Neurosis Neurosis is a class of functional mental disorders involving chronic distress, but neither delusions nor hallucinations. The term is no longer used by the professional psychiatric community in the United States, having been eliminated from th ...

, and

Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin were an English rock band formed in London in 1968. The group comprised vocalist Robert Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham. With a heavy, guitar-driven sound, they are ci ...

as influences on Isis' sound. However, he points to the

electronica Electronica is both a broad group of electronic-based music styles intended for listening rather than strictly for dancing and a music scene that started in the early 1990s in the United Kingdom. In the United States, the term is mostly used to r ...

, 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 Melvins (sometimes The Melvins) are an American rock band formed in 1983 in Montesano, Washington. Their early work was key to the development of both grunge and sludge metal. Initially, they performed as a trio but later also sometimes appeare ...

Jimi Hendrix James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix (born Johnny Allen Hendrix; November 27, 1942September 18, 1970) was an American guitarist, singer and songwriter. Although his mainstream career spanned only four years, he is widely regarded as one of the most ...

Swans Swans are birds of the family Anatidae within the genus ''Cygnus''. The swans' closest relatives include the geese and ducks. Swans are grouped with the closely related geese in the subfamily Anserinae where they form the tribe Cygnini. Someti ...

Keiji Haino Keiji Haino ( ''Haino Keiji''; born May 3, 1952) is a Japanese musician and singer-songwriter whose work has included rock, free improvisation, noise music, percussion, psychedelic music, minimalism and drone music. He has been active since the ...

Oxbow __NOTOC__ An oxbow is a U-shaped metal pole (or larger wooden frame) that fits the underside and the sides of the neck of an ox or bullock. A bow pin holds it in place. The term " oxbow" is widely used to refer to a U-shaped meander in a rive ...

Earth Earth is the third planet from the Sun and the only astronomical object known to harbor life. While large volumes of water can be found throughout the Solar System, only Earth sustains liquid surface water. About 71% of Earth's surfa ...

, and Coil as among his favorite artists, and has noted that

Megadeth Megadeth is an American thrash metal band formed in Los Angeles in 1983 by vocalist/guitarist Dave Mustaine. Known for their technically complex guitar work and musicianship, Megadeth is one of the "big four" of American thrash metal along wit ...

Metallica Metallica is an American heavy metal band. The band was formed in 1981 in Los Angeles by vocalist/guitarist James Hetfield and drummer Lars Ulrich, and has been based in San Francisco for most of its career. The band's fast tempos, instrume ...

, and

Slayer Slayer was an American thrash metal band from Huntington Park, California. The band was formed in 1981 by guitarists Kerry King and Jeff Hanneman, drummer Dave Lombardo and bassist/vocalist Tom Araya. Slayer's fast and aggressive musical style ...

were important to his early interests in the guitar. In addition, he has noted

Black Sabbath Black Sabbath were an English rock music, rock band formed in Birmingham in 1968 by guitarist Tony Iommi, drummer Bill Ward (musician), Bill Ward, bassist Geezer Butler and vocalist Ozzy Osbourne. They are often cited as pioneers of heavy met ...

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

With Hollomen

* "Brand New Genius" ingle(1997), Hydra Head Records

With House of Low Culture

* ''Submarine Immersion Techniques Vol. 1'' (2000), Activities * ''Gettin' Sentimental'' EP (2002),

Robotic Empire Robotic Empire is an American independent record label based out of Richmond, Virginia, specializing in hardcore punk, heavy metal, and alternative rock. Some of the most popular bands signed to the label over the years have been pg.99, City of C ...

* ''Edward's Lament'' (2003),

Neurot Recordings Neurot Recordings is an American independent record label founded by members of avant-garde metal band Neurosis in 1999. Gradually expanding, it has showcased a variety of artists including a number of sludge metal, post-rock, and noise band ...

* ''Live from the House of Low Temperature!'' EP (2004),

* ''Chinatown Squalls'' EP (2007), En/Of * ''Housing Tracts'' Compilation (2010), Sige * ''Uncrossing / Ice Mole'' Split EP with

(2010), Utech Records * ''Lou Lou... In Tokyo'' Split with

and

Merzbow is a Japanese noise project started in 1979 by , best known for a style of harsh, confrontational noise. Since 1980, Akita has released over 400 recordings and has collaborated with various artists. The name Merzbow comes from the German dada ...

(2011), Sige * ''Cloey / Spoiled Fruits of the Kingdom (Demo)'' Split EP with Mamiffer (2011), Sige * ''Perverted Scripture / Silent Night'' Split EP with

(2011), Sige * ''Poisoned Soil'' (2011), Taiga Records/

Sub Rosa ''Sub rosa'' (New Latin for "under the rose") denotes secrecy or confidentiality. The rose has an ancient history as a symbol of secrecy. History In Hellenistic and later Roman mythology, roses were associated with secrecy because Cupid ga ...

* ''Mamiffer + HOLC'' Split EP with

(2013), Sige * '' House of Low Culture / Caustic Touch /

Daniel Menche Daniel Menche (born December 4, 1969) is an American experimental musician and multidisciplinary artist from Portland, Oregon. Since 1989 he has recorded many albums that are categorized as electro-acoustic, noise music, dark ambient music, abst ...

/ EMS''

Split Split(s) or The Split may refer to: Places * Split, Croatia, the largest coastal city in Croatia * Split Island, Canada, an island in the Hudson Bay * Split Island, Falkland Islands * Split Island, Fiji, better known as Hạfliua Arts, enterta ...

(2017), Accident Prone * ''Irretrievable'' (2020), Sige

With Isis

* ''

Mosquito Control Mosquito control manages the population of mosquitoes to reduce their damage to human health, economies, and enjoyment. Mosquito control is a vital public-health practice throughout the world and especially in the tropics because mosquitoes spr ...

'' (1998), Escape Artist Records * '' The Red Sea'' (1999),

Second Nature Recordings Second Nature Recordings is an independent record label based in Kansas City, Missouri. It specializes in indie rock and co-releases vinyl pressings for other labels. The label has released material by Coalesce, The Blood Brothers, Waxwing, These ...

* ''

Sawblade A saw is a tool consisting of a tough blade, wire, or chain with a hard toothed edge. It is used to cut through material, very often wood, though sometimes metal or stone. The cut is made by placing the toothed edge against the material and mo ...

'' (1999),

Tortuga Recordings List of Tortuga Recordings releases References {{Reflist Black metal record labels Doom metal record labels ...

* ''

Isis / Pig Destroyer ''Isis / Pig Destroyer'' is a split EP by the bands Pig Destroyer and Isis, released in 2000. The EP, which features the two bands playing cover songs, was released on 7" vinyl. Isis' interpretation of "Streetcleaner" was previously released on ...

'' (2000) (Split with

Pig Destroyer Pig Destroyer is an American grindcore band formed in 1997 in Alexandria, Virginia. The band was formed by vocalist J.R. Hayes, guitarist Scott Hull, and drummer John Evans. Throughout the band's earlier history, they were a three-piece group u ...

), Relapse Records * ''

Celestial Celestial may refer to: Science * Objects or events seen in the sky and the following astronomical terms: ** Astronomical object, a naturally occurring physical entity, association, or structure that exists in the observable universe ** Celes ...

'' (2000), Escape Artist Records * '' SGNL>05'' (2001),

* ''

Oceanic Oceanic may refer to: *Of or relating to the ocean *Of or relating to Oceania **Oceanic climate **Oceanic languages **Oceanic person or people, also called "Pacific Islander(s)" Places * Oceanic, British Columbia, a settlement on Smith Island, ...

'' (2002),

Ipecac Recordings Ipecac Recordings is an independent record label based in California. It was founded on April 1, 1999 by Greg Werckman (ex-label manager of Alternative Tentacles, ex-lead singer of DUH, ex-employee of Mercury Records) and Mike Patton (Faith No M ...

* '' Panopticon'' (2004),

* '' In the Fishtank 14'' (2006) collaboration with

Aereogramme Aereogramme were a Scottish alternative rock band from Glasgow, formed in 1998, consisting of Craig B. (vocals, guitar), Iain Cook (guitar, programming), Campbell McNeil (bass) and Martin Scott (drums). Prior to their split in 2007, the band ...

, Konkurrent * ''

In the Absence of Truth ''In the Absence of Truth'' is the fourth full-length studio album by American post-metal band ISIS, released by Ipecac Recordings on October 31, 2006. The vinyl release was handled by Conspiracy Records. The album expands upon the group's previ ...

'' (2006),

* ''

Wavering Radiant ''Wavering Radiant'' is the fifth and final full-length album by American post-metal group Isis, released by Ipecac Recordings in 2009 and produced by Joe Barresi. The band split just over a year after its release. The album continues Isis' hist ...

'' (2009),

* '' Melvins / Isis'' (2010) (Split with

With Jodis

* ''Secret House'' (2009),

* '' Black Curtain'' (2012),

With Jon Mueller

* ''In the Falls'' (2021), Sige * ''Now That You've Found It'' (2022), American Dreams Records

With Lotus Eaters

* ''Alienist on a Pale Horse'' P(2001), Double H Noise Industries * ''Mind Control for Infants'' (2002), Neurot Recordings * ''Lotus Eaters'' P(2002),

Drone Records Drone most commonly refers to: * Drone (bee), a male bee, from an unfertilized egg * Unmanned aerial vehicle * Unmanned surface vehicle, watercraft * Unmanned underwater vehicle or underwater drone Drone, drones or The Drones may also refer to: ...

* ''Wurmwulv'' (2007),

Troubleman Unlimited Records Troubleman Unlimited Records was a record label specializing in indie rock and similar genres. Founded in 1993, the label was based in Bayonne, New Jersey and owned by Mike Simonetti. History The label started as an offshoot of a fanzine called ...

With Mamiffer

* ''

Hirror Enniffer ''Hirror Enniffer'' is the first studio album by American post-rock band Mamiffer. It was released through Hydra Head Records on September 23, 2008. The album was recorded, mixed and produced by Chris Common with mastering by Ed Brooks at RFI Mast ...

'' (2008), Hydra Head Records * ''Uncrossing / Ice Mole'' Split EP with House of Low Culture (2010), Utech Records * ''Iron Road II / Fake Witch'' Split 12" with Oakeater (2011), Sige * ''Lou Lou... In Tokyo'' Split with House of Low Culture and

(2011), Sige * ''Perverted Scripture / Silent Night'' Split EP with House of Low Culture (2011), Sige * ''

Mare Decendrii '' Mare Decendrii '' is the second studio album by American post-rock band Mamiffer. It was released through SIGE records on March 15, 2011. The album was recorded at Studio Litho, Aleph Studio and London Bridge Studio in Seattle and mixed by Ra ...

'' (2011), Sige * ''Bless Them That Curse You'' Collaboration LP with Locrian (2011), Sige * ''Mamiffer / Pyramids'' Split LP with Pyramids (2012), Hydra Head Records * ''Enharmonic Intervals (for Paschen organ)'' Collaboration LP with

(2013), Sige * ''

Statu Nascendi ''Statu Nascendi'' is the third studio album by American post-rock band Mamiffer. It was released through SIGE Records on November 18, 2014. The album was recorded and mixed live on November 16, 2013, then subsequently produced by Randall Dunn at ...

'' (2014), Sige * '' Crater'' Collaboration LP with

(2015), Sige * ''The World Unseen'' (2016), Sige * ''Recordings For Lilac III'' limited cassette (2017), The Tapeworm * ''The Brilliant Tabernacle'' (2019), Sige * ''Ae/Be'' EP, (2020), Sige * ''Mettapatterning for Constellation'', (2020), Sige

With Marshall Trammell

* ''Experimental Love I & II'' (2020), Sige

With Old Man Gloom

* '' Meditations in B'' (1999), Tortuga Recordings * '' Seminar II: The Holy Rites of Primitivism Regressionism'' (2001), Tortuga Recordings * '' Seminar III: Zozobra'' (2001), Tortuga Recordings * ''

Christmas Eve I and II + 6 Christmas is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world. A feast central to the Christian liturgical year, ...

'' P(2003), Tortuga Recordings * ''

Christmas Christmas is an annual festival commemorating Nativity of Jesus, the birth of Jesus, Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people Observance of Christmas by country, around t ...

'' (2004), Tortuga Recordings * '' No'' (2012), Hydra Head Records * '' The Ape of God'' (2014), Profound Lore * '' Mickey Rookey Live at London'' (2016), Ektro Records * '' Seminar IX: Darkness of Being'' (2020), Profound Lore * '' Seminar VIII: Light of Meaning'' (2020), Profound Lore * '' Willing Vessel / Storms in our Eyes'' P(2020), Sige

With Pharaoh Overlord

* ''6'' (2020), Rocket Recordings

With Split Cranium

* ''Sceptres To Rust'' 7-inch (2012), Self Released * ''Split Cranium'' (2012),

* ''I'm the Devil and I'm OK'' (2018),

With Sumac

* '' The Deal'' (2015),

Profound Lore Profound Lore Records is a Canadian independent record label founded in May 2004, which "began as the 'hobby-like venture' of a few friends but, over the past six years, the label has evolved into a one-man enterprise, shaped a distinct 'aesthet ...

* '' What One Becomes'' (2016),

Thrill Jockey Thrill Jockey is an American independent record label established by former Atlantic Records A&R representative Bettina Richards and based in Chicago. History Richards started the label in 1992 with $35,000 of family and personal capital, while ...

* ''Before You I Appear'' EP (2016),

* ''American Dollar Bill – Keep Facing Sideways, You're Too Hideous to Look at Face On'' with

(2018),

* '' Love in Shadow'' (2018), Thrill Jockey * ''Even for Just the Briefest Moment Keep Charging This "Expiation" Plug in to Making It Slightly Better'' with

(2019), Trost * '' May You Be Held'' (2020), Thrill Jockey * ''Into This Juvenile Apocalypse Our Golden Blood to Pour Let Us Never'' with

(2022), Thrill Jockey

With Summer of Seventeen

* ''Summer of Seventeen'' (2020, Karlrecords)

With Tashi Dorji

* ''Turn!Turn!Turn'' (2019), Sige

With Thalassa

* ''Bonds of Prosperity'' (2017), Sige

With Twilight

* ''

Monument to Time End ''Monument to Time End'' is the second album by the black metal band Twilight. It was released in 2010. Track listing Credits *Neill Jameson - Vocals *Aaron Turner Aaron Turner (born November 5, 1977) is an American musician, singer, grap ...

'' (2010),

Southern Lord Records Southern Lord is an American heavy metal record label that was founded in 1998 by Greg Anderson. It specialized in experimental metal: particularly doom metal, stoner rock, and drone metal. The label later expanded its line-up to include arti ...

With Unionsuit

* Demo tape (1996), Hydra Head Records * ''Accidents Happened'' P(1997),

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 Sargent House is an American management company and record label based in Los Angeles. It was founded in June 2006 by Cathy Pellow, who is a music video commissioner for Atlantic Records and also owns a music video production company called Ref ...

** Turner contributes to the track "Aileron". *

Chelsea Wolfe Chelsea Joy Wolfe (born November 14, 1983) is an American singer-songwriter and musician. Her work has blended elements of gothic rock, doom metal, and folk music. Raised in Northern California with a country musician father, Wolfe began writin ...

– ''

Hiss Spun ''Hiss Spun'' is the fifth studio album by American singer-songwriter Chelsea Wolfe, released on September 22, 2017, by Sargent House. The album was recorded in Salem, Massachusetts, at the studio of Converge guitarist Kurt Ballou. Produced by Wol ...

'' (2017),

** Guest vocals on the track "Vex" *

Converge Converge may refer to: * Converge (band), American hardcore punk band * Converge (Baptist denomination), American national evangelical Baptist body * Limit (mathematics) * Converge ICT, internet service provider in the Philippines *CONVERGE CFD s ...

– '' 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 Brian Williams is a Welsh industrial musician, sound designer and film score composer. He is often credited for creating the dark ambient genre with albums recorded under the name Lustmord. His experimental work has been described as "not tra ...

– '' O T H E R'' (2008), Hydra Head Records ** Turner contributes guitar to the track "Element". *

Pelican Pelicans (genus ''Pelecanus'') are a genus of large water birds that make up the family Pelecanidae. They are characterized by a long beak and a large throat pouch used for catching prey and draining water from the scooped-up contents before s ...

– ''

What We All Come to Need ''What We All Come to Need'' is the fourth studio album by American post-metal band Pelican. The album was released on October 27, 2009 through Southern Lord Records and was the band's first for the label after leaving Hydra Head Records earlie ...

'' (2009),

** Turner contributes guest guitar to the title track. *

Puscifer Puscifer () is an American rock group formed in Los Angeles by Maynard James Keenan, known as the lead singer of the bands Tool and A Perfect Circle. Initially, Keenan was the only permanent member, and as such he considered the project to be h ...

– '' "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 Downwards Records is a record label founded by the techno DJs and producers Regis and Female in Birmingham, England in 1993. The label was initially established to release the set of tracks that fellow Birmingham DJ and producer Surgeon had recor ...

**guest on "Propagates of Desire". *

Ringfinger The ring finger, third finger, fourth finger, leech finger, or annulary is the fourth digit of the human hand, located between the middle finger and the little finger. Sometimes the term ring finger only refers to the fourth digit of a left-han ...

– ''Decimal'' (2007), Little Black Cloud Records ** Turner contributes vocals and guitar to the track "Waving Good-Bye". *

Wolves in the Throne Room Wolves in the Throne Room is an American black metal band formed in 2002 in Olympia, Washington, by brothers Aaron and Nathan Weaver. They have released seven full-length albums, two live albums, and one EP to date. They have stated one of the f ...

– Turner provides chants on "Subterranean Initiation" (2011)

Artwork

Turner's artwork tends toward the abstract or

surreal Surreal may refer to: *Anything related to or characteristic of Surrealism, a movement in philosophy and art * "Surreal" (song), a 2000 song by Ayumi Hamasaki * ''Surreal'' (album), an album by Man Raze *Surreal humour, a common aspect of humor ...

, 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 Graphic design is a profession, academic discipline and applied art whose activity consists in projecting visual communications intended to transmit specific messages to social groups, with specific objectives. Graphic design is an interdiscipli ...

. 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 cover An album cover (also referred to as album art) is the front packaging art of a commercially released studio album or other audio recordings. The term can refer to either the printed paperboard covers typically used to package sets of and 78-r ...

s 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'' *

– ''

Seclusion Seclusion is the act of secluding (i.e. isolating from society), the state of being secluded, or a place that facilitates it (a secluded place). A person, couple, or larger group may go to a secluded place for privacy or peace and quiet. The se ...

'' *

Agoraphobic Nosebleed Agoraphobic Nosebleed (abbreviated as ANb) is an American grindcore band formed in 1994 in Springfield, Massachusetts, United States. Its line-up has changed often over the years, with guitarist and drum programmer Scott Hull being the only cont ...

– ''

PCP Torpedo ''PCP Torpedo'' is a 6" vinyl EP by American grindcore band Agoraphobic Nosebleed. It was released in 1998 on Hydra Head Records. '' PCP Torpedo'' was pressed on assorted colours, including black, black/red mixed, red, and orange/red mixed. The o ...

'', ''

Frozen Corpse Stuffed with Dope ''Frozen Corpse Stuffed with Dope'' is the second full-length album released by grindcore band Agoraphobic Nosebleed. Track listing Personnel * Scott Hull – guitar, programming, backing vocals *Richard Johnson – bass guitar, backing vocal ...

'' *

A Life Once Lost A Life Once Lost was an American metal band based in Pennsylvania. History A Life Once Lost formed in 1999 in a suburb of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. After the release of their first album, '' Open Your Mouth for the Speechless... in Case of ...

– '' The Fourth Plague: Flies'' * Beecher – ''Breaking the Fourth Wall'' * Bloodlet – ''Entheogen'' *

Burst Burst may refer to: *Burst mode (disambiguation), a mode of operation where events occur in rapid succession **Burst transmission, a term in telecommunications **Burst switching, a feature of some packet-switched networks ** Bursting, a signaling m ...

– '' Prey on Life'' *

Cable Cable may refer to: Mechanical * Nautical cable, an assembly of three or more ropes woven against the weave of the ropes, rendering it virtually waterproof * Wire rope, a type of rope that consists of several strands of metal wire laid into a hel ...

– ''Northern Failures'' *

Cave In Cave In is an American rock band that formed in 1995 in Methuen, Massachusetts. The band's lineup solidified with the 1998 release of ''Until Your Heart Stops'' through Hydra Head Records, and their early albums were prominent in the metalco ...

– ''

Antenna Antenna ( antennas or antennae) may refer to: Science and engineering * Antenna (radio), also known as an aerial, a transducer designed to transmit or receive electromagnetic (e.g., TV or radio) waves * Antennae Galaxies, the name of two collid ...

'', ''

Planets of Old ''Planets of Old'' is an extended play released by American alternative rock band Cave In. This EP is the first release of new material from the band since their split in 2006. Additionally, this is the first Cave In release to feature Adam McGra ...

'', ''

White Silence ''White Silence'' is the fifth studio album by the American rock band Cave In. The album was released on May 24, 2011 through Hydra Head Records. ''White Silence'' was listed as one of ''Decibel'' magazine's most anticipated albums of 2011. '' ...

'' *

Cavity Cavity may refer to: Biology and healthcare *Body cavity, a fluid-filled space in many animals where organs typically develop **Gastrovascular cavity, the primary organ of digestion and circulation in cnidarians and flatworms *Dental cavity or too ...

– ''Laid Insignificant'' * Clouds – ''We Are Above You'' *

Coalesce Coalesce may refer to: *Coalesce (band), a metalcore band from Kansas City, Missouri, active from 1994 to 1999, 2005– **Coalesce discography, a list of Coalesce's albums and songs * COALESCE, an SQL function *Null coalescing operator, a binary o ...

– '' There is Nothing New Under the Sun'' *

– ''

Petitioning the Empty Sky ''Petitioning the Empty Sky'' is the second studio album by American metalcore band Converge. However, contrary to many sources, the band considers this a compilation album, being a collection of songs recorded at different times. While tracklist ...

'', ''

When Forever Comes Crashing ''When Forever Comes Crashing'' is the third studio album by American metalcore band Converge, on April 14, 1998 through Equal Vision Records. Recording The album was recorded at God City Studio from 22 December through 3 January 1998. Steve A ...

'' * Craw – ''Bodies for Strontium 90'' *

The Dillinger Escape Plan The Dillinger Escape Plan was an American metalcore band. The band was formed in 1997 in Morris Plains, New Jersey by guitarist Ben Weinman, bassist Adam Doll, vocalist Dimitri Minakakis, and drummer Chris Pennie. The band's use of odd time si ...

– ''

'' * Drowningman – ''Drowningman Still Loves You'' * The Dukes of Nothing – ''War & Wine'' *

Eugene Robinson Eugene Keefe Robinson (born May 28, 1963) is a former American football safety who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 16 seasons. He spent the majority of his career with the Seattle Seahawks, who signed him as an undrafted free age ...

– ''Fight'' * Hematovore – ''Untitled'' * The Hollomen – ''The Hollomen'' *

The Hope conspiracy The Hope Conspiracy is an American hardcore punk band from Boston formed in late 1999. They were picked up by Equal Vision Records and Bridge 9 Records before signing a deal with Deathwish Records. Biography With the help of Mark Thompson of ...

– demo *

– ''

'', '' The Red Sea'', ''

'', ''

'', '' SGNL>05'', ''

'', '' Live.01'', '' Panopticon'', ''

Live.02 Recorded on March 19, 2003, in Stockholm, Sweden, ''Live.02'' is Isis (band), Isis's second live release. It is sourced from a Swedish radio recording, and, as such, is the best-sounding of Isis' live releases thus far. The original radio broadca ...

'', '' Oceanic Remixes and Reinterpretations'', '' Live.03'', ''

Live.04 ''Live.04'' is Isis's fourth live release and the first to be composed of recordings from several different sources and eras. Many of the tracks are from audience bootleg recordings, and as such do not sound professionally recorded. The exceptio ...

'', ''

Clearing the Eye ''Clearing the Eye'' is the first DVD release by the Los Angeles post-metal band Isis (band), Isis. It features live videos (including an entire live performance), the "In Fiction" music video, photo galleries, lyrics for all songs featured, a c ...

'', ''

'', '' Shades of the Swarm'', " Not in Rivers, but in Drops", ''

'', '' Isis / Melvins'' * James Plotkin's Atomsmasher – ''Atomsmasher'' * Jesu – ''

Silver Silver is a chemical element with the Symbol (chemistry), symbol Ag (from the Latin ', derived from the Proto-Indo-European wikt:Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/h₂erǵ-, ''h₂erǵ'': "shiny" or "white") and atomic number 47. A soft, whi ...

'', '' Lifeline'', '' Conqueror'', '' Jesu'', '' Why Are We Not Perfect?'' * Jodis – ''Secret House'' *

Johnny Truant Johnny Truant was a British metalcore band, formed in 2000 under the name Severance. The band recorded three demos under this moniker before renaming themselves after one of the main characters of Mark Z. Danielewski's novel ''House of Leave ...

– ''

The Repercussions of a Badly Planned Suicide ''The Repercussions of a Badly Planned Suicide'' is the debut album from UK metalcore band Johnny Truant. Track listing All music written and composed by Johnny Truant. All lyrics written by Olly Mitchell. # "I Am The Primitologist Mr Robert ...

'' *

KEN mode KEN mode (an acronym for Kill Everyone Now) is a Canadian noise rock band from Winnipeg, Manitoba, that was formed in September 1999. History Formed by brothers Jesse (guitar/vocals) and Shane Matthewson (drums) and long-time friend Darryl Laxdal ...

– ''Mongrel'' * Kid Kilowatt – '' Guitar Method'' *

Knut Knut (Norwegian language, Norwegian and Swedish language, Swedish), Knud (Danish language, Danish), or Knútur (Icelandic) is a Scandinavian, German language, German, and Dutch language, Dutch first name, of which the anglicised form is Canute. ...

– '' Terraformer'', ''Wonder'' *

Mare A mare is an adult female horse or other equine. In most cases, a mare is a female horse over the age of three, and a filly is a female horse three and younger. In Thoroughbred horse racing, a mare is defined as a female horse more than four ...

– Self-Titled EP * Milligram – ''Hello Motherfucker'' * Mistle Thrush – '' Drunk with You'' *

– ''

Sovereign ''Sovereign'' is a title which can be applied to the highest leader in various categories. The word is borrowed from Old French , which is ultimately derived from the Latin , meaning 'above'. The roles of a sovereign vary from monarch, ruler or ...

,'' Neurosis & Jarboe (remastered) *

– '' Meditations in B'', '' Seminar II: The Holy Rites of Primitivism Regressionism'', ''NO'' * Panic – ''Dying For It'' *

– ''

Australasia Australasia is a region that comprises Australia, New Zealand and some neighbouring islands in the Pacific Ocean. The term is used in a number of different contexts, including geopolitically, physiogeographically, philologically, and ecologica ...

'', '' The Fire in Our Throats Will Beckon the Thaw'', '' City of Echoes'' * Premonitions of War – ''Left in Kowloon'' *

Rosetta Rosetta or Rashid (; ar, رشيد ' ; french: Rosette ; cop, ϯⲣⲁϣⲓⲧ ''ti-Rashit'', Ancient Greek: Βολβιτίνη ''Bolbitinē'') is a port city of the Nile Delta, east of Alexandria, in Egypt's Beheira governorate. The Ro ...

– ''

The Galilean Satellites ''The Galilean Satellites'' is the first studio album by American post-metal band Rosetta, released in 2005 on Translation Loss Records. The album is two discs long and the track lengths on each disc correspond to each other, indicating that the ...

'' * Torche – ''

Meanderthal ''Meanderthal'' is the second full-length studio album by American heavy metal band Torche (band), Torche. It was released on April 8, 2008. Reception In the January 2009 issue of ''Decibel Magazine'', ''Meanderthal'' was ranked number 1 atop t ...

'' * Tusk – ''Get Ready'' *

Xasthur Xasthur () is the project of American musician Scott "Malefic" Conner. Conner formed Xasthur in 1995 and released eight studio albums of black metal by 2010, when he announced the end of the project. However, he began using the name once again i ...

– ''

All Reflections Drained ''All Reflections Drained'' is the seventh studio album by American black metal act Xasthur. It is available in an A5 Digipack with a Bonus Disc of songs "Experimenting in between the chapters" and as a limited edition cassette that includes pin ...

Zozobra The Zozobra (also known as "Old Man Gloom") is a giant marionette effigy constructed of wood, wire and cotton cloth that is built and burned prior to the annual Fiestas de Santa Fe in Santa Fe, New Mexico, United States. It stands high. As it ...

– '' Harmonic Tremors'', ''

Bird of Prey Birds of prey or predatory birds, also known as raptors, are hypercarnivorous bird species that actively hunt and feed on other vertebrates (mainly mammals, reptiles and other smaller birds). In addition to speed and strength, these predators h ...

References

;Footnotes ;Citations {{DEFAULTSORT:Turner, Aaron 1977 births Living people Isis (band) members American graphic designers American heavy metal guitarists American heavy metal singers American experimental musicians Shoegaze musicians Guitarists from New Mexico People from Santa Fe, New Mexico American male guitarists 21st-century American singers Old Man Gloom members Twilight (band) members