Undeniably one of the most classic labels of the Heavy Metal 80's. Operating out of the town of Hull, England, Ebony was run by recording engineer Darryl Johnston, who also had his own recording studio, Ebony Studios, where most (all?) the label's releases were recorded.
Label variations
Yes, there were a few, but they were not common enough to warrant a separate column in the table below. It is easily summarized as such:
The 4 first Metal compilations of the label came with both the early plain letter logo label (henceforth known as the "generic label") as well as represses featuring the classic Ebony logo (henceforth know as the "logo label"). "Metal Fatigue" stand out as it also had a rare first pressing shipped in a thin maxi-type sleeve with a uniqe label-design featuring an older logo (henceforth know as the "old logo label").
old logo label
generic label
logo label
See also Criminal Response Records (Ebony sublabel) and post-Ebony label Reaction Records, the last one added at the bottom of this page.
...and check this list for a good overview of the Ebony/Reaction Records compilations.
| Cover | Cat# | Artist | Title | Format | Year | Special | Comment | Search | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
EBON 1 | Various | Metal Fatigue | LP | 1982 | 3 pressings exist: - old logo label (w/ thin sleeve) - - generic label - - logo label - More info here. |
|
3 pressings exist: - old logo label (w/ thin sleeve) - - generic label - - logo label - More info here. |
|||||||||
 |
EBON 2 | Various | Synthetic Romance | LP | 1982 | Not Metal. Various electro/new romantic/new wave. Featuring: Johnny Dee, The Truth, Those Attractive Magnets, Stranger Station, Rowan Holiday, Liar, Low Profile, Factor 13, Biofeedback, Motifs and D.H.S.S. |
|
Not Metal. Various electro/new romantic/new wave. Featuring: Johnny Dee, The Truth, Those Attractive Magnets, Stranger Station, Rowan Holiday, Liar, Low Profile, Factor 13, Biofeedback, Motifs and D.H.S.S. |
|||||||||
 |
EBON 3 | Various | Sample & Hold | LP | 1982 | Supposedly a non-Metal, Electro/New Wave comp featuring amongst other: Strange Behaviour, West One, Rivals, Function 3. (One source does however claim that it also includes some NWOBHM..) |
|
Supposedly a non-Metal, Electro/New Wave comp featuring amongst other: Strange Behaviour, West One, Rivals, Function 3. (One source does however claim that it also includes some NWOBHM..) |
|||||||||
 |
EBON 4 | The Pete Ryan Band | Dolly Parten's Tits | 7" | 1982 | Not Metal. I think. |
|
Not Metal. I think. | |||||||||
 |
EBON 5 | Moby Dick | Nothing To Fear | 7" | 1982 |
|
|||||||||||
 |
EBON 6 | Various | Metallic Storm | LP | 1982 | 3 pressings exist: - orange splatter sleeve w/ generic label - - b/w/red sleeve w/ generic label - - b/w/red sleeve w/ logo label - More info here. |
|
3 pressings exist: - orange splatter sleeve w/ generic label - - b/w/red sleeve w/ generic label - - b/w/red sleeve w/ logo label - More info here. |
|||||||||
 |
EBON 7 | Strategy | Technical Overflow | 7" | 1982 | Not Metal. Progressive rock. |
|
Not Metal. Progressive rock. | |||||||||
 |
EBON 8 | Various | Metal Mainiaxe | LP | 1982 | 2 pressings exist: - generic label - - logo label - More info here. |
|
2 pressings exist: - generic label - - logo label - More info here. |
|||||||||
 |
EBON 9 | Chateaux | Young Blood / Fight To The Last | 7" | 1982 | The infamous Ebony-production makes this sound an awful lot more obscure than it really is. Both songs are great and about as cutting edge Metal as you'd get in 1982 so as far as NWOBHM singles w/ exclusive content go, this belong in the must-buy heap. |
|
The infamous Ebony-production makes this sound an awful lot more obscure than it really is. Both songs are great and about as cutting edge Metal as you'd get in 1982 so as far as NWOBHM singles w/ exclusive content go, this belong in the must-buy heap. | |||||||||
 |
EBON 10 | Savage | Ain't No Fit Place / The China Run | 7" | 1982 |
|
|||||||||||
 |
EBON 11 | Various | Metal Warriors | LP | 1983 | 2 pressings exist: - generic label - - logo label - More info here. |
|
2 pressings exist: - generic label - - logo label - More info here. |
|||||||||
 |
EBON 12 | Savage | Loose'n Lethal | LP | 1983 | Review |
|
Review | |||||||||
 |
EBON 13 | Chateaux | Chained And Desperate | LP | 1983 | You simply cannot outEbony Chateaux. Partly because they had more releases out on the label than any other band and partly because they exemplified the kind of simple, straight-forward Metal out of which mould most Ebony-acts were cast. |
|
You simply cannot outEbony Chateaux. Partly because they had more releases out on the label than any other band and partly because they exemplified the kind of simple, straight-forward Metal out of which mould most Ebony-acts were cast. | |||||||||
 |
EBON 14 | Various | Metal Plated | LP | 1983 | More info here. |
|
More info here. | |||||||||
 |
EBON 15 | Shy | Once Bitten... Twice Shy | LP | 1983 | I occationally hear some good words about this record from more open-minded NWOBHM-fanatics, but I'm sorry to say I can't second their opinion that this is anything more than poorly disguised aor. Review |
|
I occationally hear some good words about this record from more open-minded NWOBHM-fanatics, but I'm sorry to say I can't second their opinion that this is anything more than poorly disguised aor. Review |
|||||||||
 |
EBON 16 | Grim Reaper | See You In Hell | LP | 1983 | Review |
|
Review | |||||||||
 |
EBON 17 | Holland | Early Warning | LP | 1983 |
|
|||||||||||
 |
EBON 18 | Chateaux | Fire Power | LP | 1984 | That sizzling, treble-heavy (crap) trademark Ebony-guitarsound is especially prominent on this midways release from Ebony's eboniest. Thank doG there's only the awful "Roller Coaster" touching sell-out territory, otherwise it's just as almost-good as anything else in their discog. |
|
That sizzling, treble-heavy (crap) trademark Ebony-guitarsound is especially prominent on this midways release from Ebony's eboniest. Thank doG there's only the awful "Roller Coaster" touching sell-out territory, otherwise it's just as almost-good as anything else in their discog. | |||||||||
 |
EBON 19 | Demon Eyes | Rites Of Chaos | LP | 1984 | Review |
|
Review | |||||||||
 |
EBON 20 | Sterling Cook Force | Full Force | LP | 1984 |
|
|||||||||||
 |
EBON 21 | Blade Runner | Hunted | LP | 1984 | Review |
|
Review | |||||||||
 |
EBON 22 | Nightmare | Waiting For The Twilight | LP | 1984 | The nasal vocals makes me think of Silver Mountain and they don't quite manage to ruin this tasty piece of Olde yet melodic Heavy Metal either. |
|
The nasal vocals makes me think of Silver Mountain and they don't quite manage to ruin this tasty piece of Olde yet melodic Heavy Metal either. | |||||||||
 |
EBON 23 | Syron Vanes | Bringer Of Evil | LP | 1984 |
|
|||||||||||
 |
EBON 24 | Samurai | Sacred Blade | LP | 1984 | Review |
|
Review | |||||||||
 |
EBON 25 | Samurai | Fires Of Hell | 7" | 1984 |
|
|||||||||||
 |
EBON 26 | Blade Runner | Back Street Lady | 7" | 1984 |
|
|||||||||||
 |
EBON 27 | Touched | Dream Girl | 7" | 1984 |
|
|||||||||||
 |
EBON 28 | Touched | Back Alley Vices | LP | 1984 |
|
|||||||||||
 |
EBON 29 | Hammer | Contract With Hell | LP | 1985 | Fans of heavier/faster NWOBHM will mostly only take the opening track to heart and I figure the praise I often hear for this record must come for die-hard Thin Lizzy fans. I'm also betting HIGH SPIRITS must hold this album very high, at least judging by the 3 final anthems. |
|
Fans of heavier/faster NWOBHM will mostly only take the opening track to heart and I figure the praise I often hear for this record must come for die-hard Thin Lizzy fans. I'm also betting HIGH SPIRITS must hold this album very high, at least judging by the 3 final anthems. | |||||||||
 |
EBON 30 | Nightmare | Power Of The Universe | LP | 1985 |
|
|||||||||||
 |
EBON 31 | Chateaux | Highly Strung | LP | 1985 | Qualitywise all 3 Chateaux are fairly even, though there is an ever so slight downward slope and on this their swansong it's mostly the faster moments, like the title track and the enticing "First Strike" that really stick out. |
|
Qualitywise all 3 Chateaux are fairly even, though there is an ever so slight downward slope and on this their swansong it's mostly the faster moments, like the title track and the enticing "First Strike" that really stick out. | |||||||||
 |
EBON 32 | Grim Reaper | Fear No Evil | LP | 1985 |
|
|||||||||||
 |
EBON 33 | Touched | Deathrow | LP | 1985 | The rawkin' parts make me think of "Shout At The Devil"-era M.Crüe, but the rest is mostly type A Ebony-Metal/B-grade NWOBHM ...which isn't a total slag-off mind you. It just kinda fades into the background. |
|
The rawkin' parts make me think of "Shout At The Devil"-era M.Crüe, but the rest is mostly type A Ebony-Metal/B-grade NWOBHM ...which isn't a total slag-off mind you. It just kinda fades into the background. | |||||||||
 |
EBON 34 | Rankelson | Hungry For Blood | LP | 1985 | Review |
|
Review | |||||||||
 |
- | The Sterling Cooke Force | Down On Love / Hit And Run (live version) | 7" | 1985 | Possibly even more rare than the "Sample & Hold" comp LP is this crazy obscure promo-single for a 2nd S.C.F. LP that never got released - at least not on Ebony. It's currently unknown if it's the same recording that would later end up on their privately released proper sophomore LP "Force This" in 1986 or not, but the live B-side is def' an exclusive recording. |
|
Possibly even more rare than the "Sample & Hold" comp LP is this crazy obscure promo-single for a 2nd S.C.F. LP that never got released - at least not on Ebony. It's currently unknown if it's the same recording that would later end up on their privately released proper sophomore LP "Force This" in 1986 or not, but the live B-side is def' an exclusive recording. | |||||||||
 |
EBON 35 | Blade Runner | Warriors Of Rock | LP | 1986 | Review |
|
Review | |||||||||
 |
EBON 36 | Syron Vanes | Revenge | LP | 1986 |
|
|||||||||||
 |
EBON 37 | Samurai | Weapon Master | LP | 1986 | Review |
|
Review | |||||||||
 |
EBON 38 | Tyga Myra | Deliverance | LP | 1986 | My 2 favourite things about this album is the unique, mesmerizing, almost fluorescent nuance of red adorning the cover art, and the riff in the chorus of "Dead Zone". On the whole it's a solid post-NWOBHM album and in the better, heavier & classier half of the Ebony stable. |
|
My 2 favourite things about this album is the unique, mesmerizing, almost fluorescent nuance of red adorning the cover art, and the riff in the chorus of "Dead Zone". On the whole it's a solid post-NWOBHM album and in the better, heavier & classier half of the Ebony stable. |
|||||||||
 |
EBON 39 | Cobra | Back From The Dead | LP | 1986 |
|
|||||||||||
 |
EBON 40 | Preyer | Terminator | LP | 1986 |
|
|||||||||||
 |
EBON 41 | Blood Money | Red, Raw And Bleeding | LP | 1986 | Review |
|
Review | |||||||||
 |
EBON 42 | Dealer | First Strike | LP | 1986 |
|
|||||||||||
 |
EBON 43 | ? | ? | ? | 1986? |
|
|||||||||||
 |
EBON 44 | Fast Kutz | Burnin' | LP | 1987 |
|
|||||||||||
 |
EBON 45 | Rankelson | The Bastards Of Rock'n'Roll | LP | 1987 |
|
|||||||||||
 |
EBON 46 | Blood Money | Battlescarred | LP | 1987 | Review |
|
Review | |||||||||
 |
EBONS 100 | Various | The Metal Collection Volume 1 | LP | 1987 | More info here. |
|
More info here. | |||||||||
 |
EBONS 101 | Various | The Metal Collection Volume 2 | LP | 1987 | More info here. |
|
More info here. | |||||||||
 |
EBONS 102 | Various | Metal Collection Volume 3 | LP | 1987 | More info here. |
|
More info here. | |||||||||
|
EBONS 103 | ? | ? | ? | 1987? |
|
|||||||||||
 |
EBONS 104 | Various | Rock Meets Metal | LP | 1987 | More info here. |
|
More info here. | |||||||||
 |
EBONS 105 | Various | Rock Meets Metal Volume 2 | LP | 1987 | More info here. |
|
More info here. | |||||||||
| Reaction Records |
|
Reaction Records | |||||||||||||||
 |
UNREST 1 | Various | Underground Resistance Volume 1 | LP | 1987 | Various alternative stuff, though a band or 2 tangent Metal. More info here. |
|
Various alternative stuff, though a band or 2 tangent Metal. More info here. |
|||||||||
 |
UNREST 2 | Various | Underground Resistance Volume 2 | LP | 1987 | Not Metal. Various alternative stuff. Featuring: Cocophony, Divine Light, Prisoners Of War, Evil Mothers, Stax Century, TR28-20, Limited Edition, The Chain, Mousetrap Conspiracy, Jude Found Eden, Headhunters, Beat Of The Beast, Out Switch, Manifesto, Innocent Eyes and North Corporation. |
|
Not Metal. Various alternative stuff. Featuring: Cocophony, Divine Light, Prisoners Of War, Evil Mothers, Stax Century, TR28-20, Limited Edition, The Chain, Mousetrap Conspiracy, Jude Found Eden, Headhunters, Beat Of The Beast, Out Switch, Manifesto, Innocent Eyes and North Corporation. |
|||||||||
 |
UNREST 3 | Various | Underground Resistance Volume III | LP | 1987 | Mostly non-Metal. Various alternative stuff. Featuring: Das Tor, Deadly Intentions, First Offence, Thrilled Skinny, Technique, Trees, Innocent Elements, Die Laughing, Bad Blood, Temper! Temper!, Berlin Zu, The Rout, The Eternal and Shakedown. |
|
Mostly non-Metal. Various alternative stuff. Featuring: Das Tor, Deadly Intentions, First Offence, Thrilled Skinny, Technique, Trees, Innocent Elements, Die Laughing, Bad Blood, Temper! Temper!, Berlin Zu, The Rout, The Eternal and Shakedown. |
|||||||||
 |
UNREST 4 | Various | Rock Masters | LP | 1988 | More info here. |
|
More info here. | |||||||||
![Various - Sample & Hold [volume 2] LP, Ebony Records pressing from 1988](Ebony/sampleandholdreaction.jpg "(580) Various - Sample & Hold [volume 2]") |
UNREST 5 | Various | Sample & Hold [volume 2] | LP | 1988 | Not Metal. Various alternative stuff.. Featuring: Loaded, Jellystone Park, New Society, A Motion Industry, Hotline To Moscow, Johnny Guitar, The Reel Sound, Fuel To The Fire, Primary, The Big Picture, Euphoria, Goodnight Vienna, Legion and Potato Head. |
|
Not Metal. Various alternative stuff.. Featuring: Loaded, Jellystone Park, New Society, A Motion Industry, Hotline To Moscow, Johnny Guitar, The Reel Sound, Fuel To The Fire, Primary, The Big Picture, Euphoria, Goodnight Vienna, Legion and Potato Head. |
|||||||||
![Various - Rock Meets Metal [volume 3] LP, Ebony Records pressing from 1988](Ebony/rockmeetsmetal3.jpg "(590) Various - Rock Meets Metal [volume 3]") |
UNREST 6 | Various | Rock Meets Metal [volume 3] | LP | 1988 | More info here. |
|
More info here. | |||||||||
![Various - New Reaction [volume 1] LP, Ebony Records pressing from 1988](Ebony/newreaction1.jpg "(600) Various - New Reaction [volume 1]") |
UNREST 7 | Various | New Reaction [volume 1] | LP | 1988 | Not Metal. Various alternative stuff. Featuring: 5 O'Clock Approach, Mistaken Identity, Frank Fish & The Fins, Smoke Stack Lighting, The Resistance, Debauche, Noise Noise, The Readers Own Jazzmen, M4alice, Broken Faith, Gymnopedie, The Icemen, The Innocents and The Umbrellamen. |
|
Not Metal. Various alternative stuff. Featuring: 5 O'Clock Approach, Mistaken Identity, Frank Fish & The Fins, Smoke Stack Lighting, The Resistance, Debauche, Noise Noise, The Readers Own Jazzmen, M4alice, Broken Faith, Gymnopedie, The Icemen, The Innocents and The Umbrellamen. |
|||||||||
 |
UNREST 8 | Various | Full Force | LP | 1988 | More info here. |
|
More info here. | |||||||||
![Various - New Reaction [volume 2] LP, Ebony Records pressing from 1988](Ebony/newreaction2.jpg "(612) Various - New Reaction [volume 2]") |
UNREST 9 | Various | New Reaction [volume 2] | LP | 1988 | Not Metal. Various alternative stuff. Featuring: Mind The Gap, Mr Robinson, The Rain Devils, Magdalene Fields, Dream Studio, Candybox, Barbedwire, Mike Gari, Hands Up, One Touch To Go, The Partners, Touch And Go, Big Orange, Hands In The Heavens and Midnight Media. |
|
Not Metal. Various alternative stuff. Featuring: Mind The Gap, Mr Robinson, The Rain Devils, Magdalene Fields, Dream Studio, Candybox, Barbedwire, Mike Gari, Hands Up, One Touch To Go, The Partners, Touch And Go, Big Orange, Hands In The Heavens and Midnight Media. |
|||||||||
 |
UNREST 10 | Various | Full Force Volume One | LP | 1988 | More info here. |
|
More info here. | |||||||||
 |
UNREST 11 | Various | Full Force Volume Two | LP | 1988 | More info here. |
|
More info here. | |||||||||
![Various - New Reaction [volume 3] LP, Ebony Records pressing from 1988](Ebony/newreaction3.jpg "(625) Various - New Reaction [volume 3]") |
UNREST 12 | Various | New Reaction [volume 3] | LP | 1988 | Not Metal. Various alternative stuff. Featuring: Pyama Party, Man In The Mirror, The Angel Trip, Poisoned Electric Head, Crimson Cats, Rape In Yellow, The Fate Merchants, Reaction, B.L.VD Boulevard, Escape To Where, Felo De Se, A Kind Of Fury, The Dick Warren Experience, Harry Wharton & Co, Zanshin and The Disposables.. |
|
Not Metal. Various alternative stuff. Featuring: Pyama Party, Man In The Mirror, The Angel Trip, Poisoned Electric Head, Crimson Cats, Rape In Yellow, The Fate Merchants, Reaction, B.L.VD Boulevard, Escape To Where, Felo De Se, A Kind Of Fury, The Dick Warren Experience, Harry Wharton & Co, Zanshin and The Disposables.. |
|||||||||
|
UNREST 13 | ? | ? | LP | 198? |
|
|||||||||||
 |
UNREST 14 | Various | Full Force Volume Three | LP | 1989 | More info here. |
|
More info here. | |||||||||
![Various - Full Force [volume 4] LP, Ebony Records pressing from 1989](Ebony/fullforce4.jpg "(650) Various - Full Force [volume 4]") |
UNREST 16 | Various | Full Force [volume 4] | LP | 1989 | Featuring: Butts, Clever Trevor, Ecce B, Sweet Revenge, Seventh Heaven, Rough'n'Ready, Panik Attak, Pump Action, Sparta, FX, Force Nine, Dangerous Affection, Loch-Ness, Tai Shan, Matriarch and Measure For Pleasure.. |
|
Featuring: Butts, Clever Trevor, Ecce B, Sweet Revenge, Seventh Heaven, Rough'n'Ready, Panik Attak, Pump Action, Sparta, FX, Force Nine, Dangerous Affection, Loch-Ness, Tai Shan, Matriarch and Measure For Pleasure.. |
|||||||||
![Various - New Reaction [volume 4] LP, Ebony Records pressing from 1989](Ebony/newreaction4.jpg "(654) Various - New Reaction [volume 4]") |
UNREST 15 | Various | New Reaction [volume 4] | LP | 1989 | Not Metal. Various alternative stuff.. Featuring: Stormed, The Quarry, You Me & Him, This Sporting Life, Raison D'etre, Boston Black, Call Me Clive, Candid Bench, Pure Passion, Bomb Culture, Internal Fear, At Colossus, The Herbs, Volapuk, Peter Carlson and Wasteland. |
|
Not Metal. Various alternative stuff.. Featuring: Stormed, The Quarry, You Me & Him, This Sporting Life, Raison D'etre, Boston Black, Call Me Clive, Candid Bench, Pure Passion, Bomb Culture, Internal Fear, At Colossus, The Herbs, Volapuk, Peter Carlson and Wasteland. |
|||||||||
Compiled by Andrew (Moscow) (Reaction discog by Karl Nolan). Additions by DaN Edman, Rob Preston and Clive Hetherington.
