Epitaph Records is a
Hollywood, California based
independent record label owned by
Bad Religion guitarist
Brett Gurewitz. The label was originally "just a logo and a P.O. box" created in the 1980s for the purpose of selling Bad Religion records, but has evolved into a large
independent record label. Gurewitz took the name from a
King Crimson song of
the same name. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s most of the bands on Epitaph were
punk and
pop punk groups, while there are many
post-hardcore and emo bands signed to the label as well. A large portion of the record label, known as
Hellcat Records, is owned by
Tim Armstrong, frontman of the punk rock band
Rancid. Several sister-labels also exist, such as
ANTI-,
Burning Heart Records,
Fat Possum Records,
Hellcat Records and Heart & Skull Records that have signed other types of bands.