FERRET MUSIC, the independent label that helped define the sound of 2000s metalcore and hardcore, has officially relaunched, spearheaded by founder Carl Severson alongside Rick Barnhart.
Across its original run, Ferret Music built a roster and catalog that shaped an entire generation of heavy music, having released early or pivotal material connected to bands including CONVERGE, KILLSWITCH ENGAGE, EVERY TIME I DIE, IN FLAMES and THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA. For fans who came of age on 2000s metalcore, the label's name carries serious weight — a mark of quality during a period when the genre was exploding out of DIY basement shows and onto major stages worldwide.
With the relaunch, Ferret Music isn't just trading on nostalgia. The label has already signed two new acts, BORE and WOUNDED TOUCH, signaling an intent to develop the next generation of heavy bands rather than operate purely as a reissue vehicle.
That said, catalog work is clearly part of the plan too. Severson and Barnhart have outlined a slate of vinyl reissues tied to some of the label's most beloved releases, including a 20th-anniversary pressing of REMEMBERING NEVER's "God Save Us," a reissue of TORN APART's "The Fifty-Ninth Session" EP, an anniversary press of OLD WOUNDS' "Suffering Spirit," and a new edition of RACETRAITOR's "Creation And The Timeless Order Of Things" featuring additional guest vocalists.
Severson, also known for his work with the band NORA and through Good Fight Management, has spent years connected to the hardcore and metalcore scenes the label helped build. His return to label ownership, alongside Barnhart, suggests a genuine, hands-on revival rather than a licensing-driven brand relaunch.
For a scene that has long looked back fondly on the Ferret Music era as a golden age of American metalcore and hardcore, the label's comeback — paired with real new signings and substantive reissue plans — gives longtime fans reason to pay attention again, while offering new bands a label with genuine scene credibility behind it.