A-Z of Amphetamine Reptile – Halo Of Flies

Amphetamine Reptile Records Label Logo

Halo of Flies featured Tom Hazelmeyer (AmRep chief), as well as John Anglim and Tim Mac. They released a number of LPs and 7″ records and broke up in 1990.

Inspired by the likes of Big Black and MC5, they were pioneers of corrosive crossover of garage rock, punk and noise. The band was formed after Hazelmeyer joined US marines (allegedly,after consuming some hallucinogens). While stationed in Seattle, he briefly joined local band U-Men, but eventually he formed Halo of Flies, along with his high-school friend John Anglim.

Between 1985 and 1987 they recorded a whole number of 7-inch singles – Rubber Room, Rubber Room Revisited, Snapping Black Roscoe Bottles and Circling The Pile EP – all of which were collected on “Singles Going Steady Compilation” (cover art, just, like the title, reflected an homage to Buzzcocks).

More EPs/singles followed – Garbage Rock and Headburn were released by Minneapolis label Twin/Tone in 1988 and both of them had a heavy rockabilly influence. By 1991, however, the band collapsed and much of their output was collected on 1991 full-length “Music For Insect Minds”.

Fast forward to a new millennium and HOF unleashed a whole number of new collaborations/recordings done with the likes of Lydia Lunch, Billy Childish and even Grant Hart (Husker Du)!

Fun Facts

– They were named after an Alice Cooper song

– Tom Hazelmeyer was also in similarly named Halo of Kitten who did a 7″ split with Hammerhead in 1995

– There is also an American (Milwaukee, WI, to be exact) label called Halo Of Flies, which have no relation whatsoever to AmRep or Tom Hazelmeyer, as well as Melvins cover of Alice Cooper’s song “Halo Of Flies”.

Discography:

Rubber Room 7″ (1986)

Rubber Room Revisited 7″ (1987)

Snapping Black Roscoe Bottles 7″ (1986)

Circling The Pile EP 7″ (1987)

Richies Dog / How Does It Feel To Feel? 7″ (1987)

Four From The Bottom CS (1987)

Garbage Rock! 12″ (1988)

Garbageburn LP (1988 )

Headburn 12″ (1988)

No Time / You Get Nothing (1988 )

Death Of A Fly 7″ (1989)