Combat Records

Lore & Background

Combat Records was the in-house heavy metal label for Important Record Distributors, which also distributed Megaforce Records in the mid-1980s. In 1984, Combat signed thrash metal band Megadeth, releasing their debut album Killing Is My Business... and Business Is Good! in 1985. The label also struck distribution deals with Noise Records (bringing Voivod, Celtic Frost, Helloween) and Neat Records (bringing Venom and Raven) to the US market. The Combat logo appeared on Megadeth's Capitol albums *Peace Sells... but Who's Buying?* and *So Far, So Good... So What!*, but not on *Rust in Peace* or *Countdown to Extinction*.

Reader's Guide

Combat Records played a pivotal role in bringing European and American thrash, death, and punk acts to a wider US audience through its distribution network. Its catalog includes landmark albums by Megadeth, Possessed, Exodus, and Dark Angel. After being acquired by Relativity Records and later Sony Music, the label was dormant for years but was revived in 2017 by Megadeth bassist David Ellefson and Thom Hazaert under EMP Label Group. In 2026, Ellefson sold the label, and it was relaunched under new management from Göttingen, Germany. The label's legacy endures through its influential releases and its role in the development of extreme metal.

Did You Know?

• Combat Records was founded in 1982 and based in New York City.
• Megadeth's debut album Killing Is My Business... and Business Is Good! sold more than 200,000 copies.
• The label formed a video label in 1985 and released one title, Combat Tour Live: The Ultimate Revenge.
• In 2026, Combat was sold by David Ellefson and moved its office to Göttingen, Germany.

Founding & Early Identity

Combat Records emerged in 1982 as a New York City-based independent label built with a singular purpose: to serve as a home for heavy metal and punk rock musicians. Rather than casting a wide net across genres, the label carved out a focused niche that would define its identity throughout its history. It operated as the in-house metal imprint for Important Record Distributors, a major independent distribution force that maintained offices across the United States to promote and sell Combat's releases. This parent company also housed Megaforce Records during the mid-1980s, a label that produced landmark early thrash titles like Metallica's Kill 'Em All and Ride the Lightning, as well as Anthrax's Fistful of Metal. The roster Combat assembled was a who's who of the era's most aggressive and influential acts, spanning thrash metal giants like Megadeth, Exodus, and Dark Angel to punk legends such as Circle Jerks and Agnostic Front, alongside death metal pioneers Death and Possessed. This concentration of talent made Combat a cornerstone of the underground metal scene.

The Megadeth Era & Distribution Network

One of Combat's most consequential moments came in November 1984, when the label signed thrash metal band Megadeth. The band's debut album, Killing Is My Business... and Business Is Good!, arrived in 1985 and went on to become one of the highest-selling releases in Combat's history, moving more than 200,000 copies. However, the label's relationship with Megadeth was short-lived: Capitol Records signed the band in 1985 and obtained the rights to their second album, Peace Sells... but Who's Buying?. Despite the departure, the Combat logo remained on the back of every Megadeth Capitol release through 1992's Countdown to Extinction. Beyond its own roster, Combat built a robust distribution network in the mid-1980s. Noise Records partnered with Combat to bring European acts like Voivod, Celtic Frost, Helloween, Tankard, and Running Wild to American audiences. Neat Records brought Venom and Raven, while Metal Blade channeled Slayer and Trouble through the same pipeline. These joint-venture releases typically carried the Combat logo, cementing the label's presence across the thrash and extreme metal landscape.

Corporate Absorption & Digital Afterlife

Combat's independent spirit did not survive the corporate tide. The label was eventually absorbed by Relativity Records, a Sony Music subsidiary, which allowed Combat to continue operating for only a brief window before shutting it down entirely. Sony later discontinued Relativity itself, yet the major label retained rights to the majority of Combat's catalog, effectively locking the label's history behind corporate ownership. For years, the original recordings existed in a kind of limbo. A brief reformation occurred in 2005 when Combat reappeared as an imprint under Koch Records, putting out records from Look What I Did, Horse the Band, and At All Cost, but this iteration was short-lived. The most significant moment of revival came in 2015, when Sony Music Entertainment finally released most of the original Combat catalog digitally for the first time. These releases were marketed through the relaunched Music For Nations label, giving a new generation of listeners access to the raw, unfiltered sound that had defined the underground metal scene of the 1980s.

The 2017 Relaunch & German Chapter

In 2017, Combat Records was reborn once more, this time through the efforts of Megadeth bassist David Ellefson and Thom Hazaert, who relaunched the name as an imprint under the EMP Label Group umbrella. The group already had a track record with artists like Marc Rizzo, Wrath, Dead By Wednesday, Hatchet, and Sword. On New Year's Day 2018, Ellefson announced that Throw the Goat became the first new band signed to the revived label. In 2019, the partnership with Century Media Records produced joint-venture reissues of classic Combat catalog titles, including work by Exodus, Possessed, and Dark Angel. By late 2023, tech death metal act End-Time Illusion released Anamnesis Genesis under Combat and Mindsnap Music. However, the chapter with Ellefson closed in February 2026, when he sold the label. New owners Robert Dujmusic, Alex Stojak, and Nicole Wendeborn took the helm, relocating operations to a new office in Göttingen, Germany. In March 2026, the label announced its first signing under this new management: South Wales hard rock band James Kennedy and The Underdogs.