Editing Combat Records (section)

==History==
Combat Records was the in-house [[Heavy metal music|heavy metal]] label for the independent powerhouse distributor Important Record Distributors.<ref name="Billboard-24Aug1985">{{cite magazine
|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=2iQEAAAAMBAJ&q=%22combat+records%22&pg=PT93
|last= Moleski |first= Linda
|title= Important Records Rediscovers Relativity
|date= August 24, 1985
|page=70
|magazine= Billboard
|access-date= January 18, 2015
|quote= Shortly after its formation in 1983, Relativity was put on hold because the company decided it would be more beneficial to "drop dance" and start a specialty label for heavy metal... As a result ... the money generated by Combat 'paved the way for us to start signing other [types of] bands.'
}}</ref> Important had several United States offices promoting and selling Combat's releases. Important Records was also home to [[Megaforce Records]] in the mid-1980s<ref name="Billboard-">{{cite magazine
|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=zSQEAAAAMBAJ&q=%22combat%20records%22&pg=PA54
|title=advertisement
|author1=Important Record Distributors
|author2=Megaforce Records
|author3=Combat Records
|magazine=Billboard
|date=December 8, 1984
|page= RB16
|access-date=January 15, 2015
}}</ref> and produced [[Metallica]]'s ''[[Kill 'Em All]]'' and ''[[Ride the Lightning]]'' (prior to Metallica's transfer to [[Elektra Records]]), [[Anthrax (American band)|Anthrax]]'s ''[[Fistful of Metal]]'' and many other early Megaforce releases.<ref name="Billboard-29Jan2000">{{cite magazine
|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wg0EAAAAMBAJ&q=%22combat%20records%22&pg=PA50
|first=Don |last=Waller
|title=Secrets of RED's Success
|date=January 29, 2000
|page=R-2
|magazine=Billboard
|postscript=. The Billboard Salute to RED.
|access-date=January 15, 2015
}}</ref>

In mid-1986, the label [[Noise Records]] signed a deal with Combat to distribute records in the US. Noise represented the bands [[Voivod (band)|Voivod]], [[Celtic Frost]], [[Helloween]], [[Tankard (band)|Tankard]], and [[Running Wild (band)|Running Wild]]).<ref name="Billboard-7Jun1986">{{cite magazine
|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=-CMEAAAAMBAJ&q=%22combat+records%22&pg=PA43
|first=Linda |last=Moleski
|title=Grass Route
|page=43
|date=June 7, 1986
|magazine=Billboard
|access-date=January 15, 2015
}}</ref> [[Neat Records|Neat]] also signed with Combat, bringing [[Venom (band)|Venom]] and [[Raven (band)|Raven]] to the US. In contrast, [[Metal Blade]] brought [[Slayer]] and [[Trouble (band)|Trouble]].<ref name="Billboard-27Apr1985"/> Usually releases were issued in joint venture with the Combat logo.

The label signed [[thrash metal]] band [[Megadeth]] to a contract in November 1984. The band released their first album ''[[Killing Is My Business... and Business Is Good!]]'' in 1985. [[Capitol Records]] signed Megadeth in 1985, obtaining the rights from Combat to ''[[Peace Sells... but Who's Buying?]]'', Megadeth's second album. The Combat logo appeared on the back of every Megadeth album on Capitol up through 1992's ''[[Countdown to Extinction]]''. ''Killing Is My Business... and Business Is Good!'' is one of the highest selling albums released by Combat Records with more than 200,000 copies sold.

The label had distribution deals with [[Music for Nations]] and [[Under One Flag]] for European releases of their catalog.

===Purchase of the company===
Combat Records was later taken over by [[Relativity Records]]. Owned by [[Sony Music]], Relativity allowed Combat to exist for a brief period, before shutting it down. Later, Sony would discontinue Relativity Records as well. Sony Music Entertainment continues to retain rights to the majority of the label's catalog.

===Rebirth===
Combat Records briefly reformed in 2005, as an imprint under [[Koch Entertainment|Koch Records]], releasing records from [[Look What I Did]], [[Horse the Band]], and At All Cost.<ref name="billboard">{{cite magazine
|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=ERUEAAAAMBAJ&q=%22combat+records%22&pg=PA22
|last=Titus |first=Christa
|title=Venerable Metal Label Again Ready for Combat
|date=October 22, 2005
|page=22
|magazine=Billboard
|access-date=January 15, 2015
}}</ref>

Sony Music Entertainment released most of the original Combat catalog digitally for the first time in 2015. The releases were marketed through the relaunched [[Music For Nations]] label.

In 2017, it was announced that [[Megadeth]] bassist [[David Ellefson]] and [[Thom Hazaert]] were relaunching Combat as an imprint of [[EMP Label Group]], who have released albums from [[Soulfly]] guitarist [[Marc Rizzo]], Wrath, [[Dead By Wednesday]], [[Hatchet (band)|Hatchet]], Sword, and more. On New Year's Day 2018, Ellefson announced that Throw the Goat was the first new band to be signed. In 2019, Ellefson and Hazaert's Combat Records, released joint venture reissues of several classic Combat catalog titles with [[Century Media Records]], including releases by [[Exodus (band)|Exodus]], [[Possessed (band)|Possessed]], and [[Dark Angel (band)|Dark Angel]].
Tech Death Metal [[End-Time Illusion (band)|End-Time Illusion]] released Anamnesis Genesis in late 2023 under Combat and Mindsnap Music.