News: HEADS.

HOTR are extremely excited to announce our first international signing. “Formed in 2014 of two native Germans and one wandering Australian, HEADS. collectively are like-minded individuals, drawing inspiration from the same filthy pools. With a straight-up, no-frills approach, and influences …

News: Epicure – The Goodbye Girl

Double 12" Vinyl (Gatefold)

One of Ballarat’s most successful exports, Epicure, have joined forces with Heart of the Rat Records to re-release their classic album ‘The Goodbye Girl’. The quintet released Armies Against Me, the 1st single from their sophomore album, in 2003. Arguably Epicure’s …

News: Dead Salesmen – Amen

12" Vinyl

HOTR has teamed up with local legends, The Dead Salesmen, to re-release their recorded swan-song, 1998’s much loved and cherished, Amen. Available on vinyl for the first time, this fan-favourite is sure to sell out fast. This will be a …

News: Mark With The Sea – When The Blood Runs Dry

12" Vinyl / CD / Digital

HOTR’s latest release will be the new album from ‘Mark With The Sea’. When it comes to taking huge bounds forward for follow-up albums they don’t come much bigger than ‘When the Blood Runs Dry’ by Mark with the Sea. …

News: Yard Apes – Night Of The Living Dead

7" Vinyl / Digital

The Yard Apes return with their first release in 3 years and HOTR couldn’t be happier. The 7″ single ‘Night Of The Living Dead’ has been recorded in analog glory, tape hiss and all. This three track is a dirtier …

Review: SWHAT – Down In Tango Zulu

Issuepunkzine

This album (SWHAT – Down in Tango Zulu) was posted to me from Australia. I take great comfort from the fact that there are still bands around prepared to do that. Lets face it, if some-one does that you have …

Review: SWHAT – Down In Tango Zulu

scannerzine

There’s little as thrilling as hearing a new band that bangs out some smoking Punk jams while already having their own sound and style and that elusive X factor that just says, “Listen up mofo.” What’s more SWHAT is a …

Review: SWHAT – Down In Tango Zulu

Desert Highways

Ballarat three-piece SWHAT have worked their instruments into a style of modern punk that gives a nod to their roots and is stripped back from any of the synthesiser, playfulness or pop that characterises many of the contemporary Australian post-punk …

Review: Mark With The Sea – 13 Years

Rhythms Magazine

These are songs that remain as free as a bird, bag blowing in the gusty wind style, the linear run of material pulling off many the dreamlike, shiatsu-for-the-soul type moments. ‘Complex Chemistry’ invites splashes of Ry Cooder-esque slide and a …

Review: Matheson – The Word Is On The Wire

The Equal Ground

Working on your sophomore album can be difficult. For a lot of bands that rush through it, there isn’t the same passion as the first record and it can inevitably be called the sophomore slump. Luckily for the band Matheson, …