Tom Hazelmyer was born and raised in Michigan before moving with his family to
Minneapolis in 1980 when he was fourteen. During his youth, Hazelmyer worked in a
foundry and performed in several
punk rock bands during his free time. In 1983, after becoming disenchanted with the underground punk scene, he opted to enlist in the
Marines and was eventually stationed near
Seattle, Washington. It was there he established his own record label
Amphetamine Reptile with the intention of issuing albums by his band
Halo of Flies, who had already been turned down by several recording labels. == References ==