Blackout Records

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Blackout! Records was an independent record label which specialized in the hardcore punk genre.

It was formed in 1988 by Bill Wilson – now forever known as "Bill Blackout" – and, together with friend Jim Gibson, they the label released its first record – a New York hardcore compilation album entitled Where the Wild Things Are, in 1989. The record included tracks from some of NYC's most popular bands of the day.

After this first release, Gibson amicably parted company to start his own record label, Noiseville Records. Blackout! continued to release more local hardcore, with EP's from Uppercut, Outburst, and a live single from Sheer Terror. This was followed by a mini album from Crawlpappy and the U.S. edition of the Sheer Terror album, Just Can't Hate Enough.

Although the label released a pressing of a greatest his from UK Oi! band The Business, a reissue of Rest In Pieces debut album, and EP's from The Icemen, American Standard, and Outcrowd was a lull in activity during the beginning of the 1990s as the local hardcore scene became more prone to violence – a fact which compounded the temporary demise of one Blackout band in particular, Killing Time. During this period Wilson established another imprint, Engine Records, which had a more indie rock sound, releasing multiple records, including the acclaimed Fast Japanese Spin Cycle EP from from Guided By Voices.

In 1992, Blackout! returned to punk when they chanced upon a female-fronted band, The Goops, playing at CBGB's and decided to release their records. The Goops toured with Rancid and after an appearance in the soundtrack to the Kevin Smith film Mallrats,signed to Kinetic Records, a part of Reprise/ Warner Brothers in 1995. During the same time, Sheer Terrorsigned to MCA. The label also achieved it's biggest independent success with the release of the debut album from H2O in 1996. The band subsequently signed to Epitaph Records.

From around 1995 onwards, there was a general explosion of a new wave of hardcore punk – not only on the east coast of America, but also the opposite coast, where Californian labels Indecision Records and Nitro Records started releasing product. Along with Blackout! and Victory Records, they were the main independent punk record labels well into the new millennium.

The label ended the 90's with records from Killing Time, Kill Your Idols, and East Bay/ Berkeley bands Redemption 87 and Powerhouse. The early part of the 2k included some new blood, including Crime In Stereo, NJ's The Banner and The Commercials. The last official Blackout! Release was The Fire Still Burns in 2005. Although no longer releasing new music, the label still maintains a blog at it's website which is intermittently updated and sells it's catalog digitally on iTunes and on CD through Lumberjack.