Ebony Records: Ebony records was always specialized in New Wave of British Heavy Metal as you know. Originally they were located in Hull/England, later they moved to North Yorks. At the beginning of the 80ies England was a real fountain of great Metal (nearly unbelievable today) and EBONY was one of the leading labels, at least concerning the musical quality of the releases. Well, the sound on most EBONY records is average or even below, and another thing I peronally always disliked is that they were not able or willing to put a lyricsheet to the albums. The coverartworks very mostly good, some even great (Grim Reaper for example). But what counts is the music, and that mostly convinced.
After a great time until the mideighties the bright star of EBONY began to sink parallel to the downward spiral of NwobHM in general. In their later days they released some bands that were more into Power Metal, some really good stuff that I personally like much more than SAVAGE and other NwobHM heroes that always had to less aggression for my taste. I may be born too late to catch the real spirit of NwobHM, but I still like it so lay down your gun, no need to shoot me ;o)

EBONY releases were in all times very popular amidst collectors circles, so most titles never were cheap. At the beginning of the 90ies NwobHM was very much sought after and expensive, today True or Power Metal are the "trends" of the hour but who knows how long this will last. It is a good time to complete your collection now and get what you missed, 'cos most records are sold for good prices at the moment so take your chance. But out goes a little warning to all US/Power Metal fans: not all records will be interesting for you! Compared to the US Power Metal godz some LPs sound outdated and to powerless, at least for my own tortured ears. Deceide for yourself!

CAT.NO. BAND TITEL YEAR STYLE NOTE
Ebon 1 Metal Fatique Sampler LP 1983 NwobHM The ONLY vinyl release for 8 of the 9 bands. All 9 are decent though none are great.
Ebon 2      
Ebon 3      
Ebon 4      
Ebon 5 Moby Dick Nothing to Fear 7" 1982 NwobHM
Ebon 6 Metallic Storm Sampler LP 1982 NwobHM
/Power/HR
M.Fate,Confessor(U.K.),Wikkyd Vikker,Mean Machine,Tarot Sutra,Wells Fargo (Hol.pre-Atilla Hol. who are better than W.F.,+7 weak bands.
Ebon 7 Stragedy Technical Overflow 7" 1982 NwobHM/Prog w/ Jackie Bodimead-pre-Girlschool, she and Harmonic 228 (?)
Ebon 8 Metal Mainiaxe Sampler LP 1982 NwobHM/HR Menace,Madame,Guillotine,Omun, Fallen Angel,Chateaux + 8.
Ebon 9 Chateaux Youngblood/Fit to the last 7" 1983 NwobHM both tracks unreleased
Ebon 10 Savage Ain't no fit Place 7" 1983
Ebon 11 Metal Warriors Sampler LP 1983 NwobHM/
Power/Prog
Excellent! w/Omega,Vortex,TNT(U.K.),Random, Black, Wish, Sortilege, Mitchell Troy, Lyadrive, Flyte, Sinner(U.K.), High Level, + 2
Ebon 12 Savage Loose 'n' Lethal LP 1983 NwobHM
Ebon 13 Chateaux Chained and Desperate LP 1983 NwobHM w/Steve Grimmett
Ebon 14 Metal Plated Sampler LP 1983 Euro Power Demon Eyes,Vulcain,Steel Wings,etc...
Ebon 15 Shy Once bitten - twice Shy LP   HR/Pop The RAREST release on Ebony vinyl
Ebon 16 Grim Reaper See you in Hell LP 1983 NwobHM w/Steve Grimmett
Ebon 17 Holland Early Warning LP 1984 NwobHM/
Mel.Power
pre-HAMMER, no keys
Ebon 18 Chateaux Fire Power LP 1984 NwobHM
Ebon 19 Demon Eyes Rites of Chaos LP 1984 NwobHM
Ebon 20 Sterling Cooke Force Full Force LP 1984
Ebon 21 Blade Runner Hunted LP 1984 NwobHM
Ebon 22 Nightmare Waiting for the Twilight LP 1984 French Power
Ebon 23 Syron Vanes Bringer of Evil LP 1984 NwobHM
Ebon 24 Samurai Sacred Blade LP 1984 NwobHM
Ebon 25 Samurai Fires of Hell 7" 1984 NwobHM
Ebon 26 Blade Runner Back Street Lady 7" 1984 NwobHM
Ebon 27 Touched Dream Girl/We'll fight back 7" 1984 HR/NwobHM ex-Aragorn member and 3 ex-Dragster members. Both are better bands than Touched, B-side unreleased
Ebon 28 Touched Back Alley Vices LP 1984 HR/NwobHM
Ebon 29 Hammer Contract with Hell LP 1985 NwobHM
Ebon 30 Nightmare Power of the Universe LP 1985 Power
Ebon 31 Chateaux Highly Strung LP 1985 NwobHM
Ebon 32 Grim Reaper Fear no Evil LP 1985 NwobHM w/Steve Grimmett
Ebon 33 Touched Death Row LP 1986 HR/NwobHM
Ebon 34 Rankelson Hungry for Blood LP 1986 Heavy/Sleaze
Ebon 35 Blade Runner Warriors of Rock LP 1986 NwobHM
Ebon 36 Syron Vanes Revenge LP 1986 Power/MS
Ebon 37 Samurai Weapon Master LP 1986 NwobHM
Ebon 38 Tyga Myra Deliverance LP 1986 Great Power! Pre-Wreckage
Ebon 39 Cobra Back from the Dead LP 1986 NwobHM
Ebon 40 Preyer Terminator LP 1986 Power Metal
Ebon 41 Bloodmoney Red raw and bleeding LP 1986 Power/NwobHM
/speed
Ebon 42 Dealer First Strike LP 1986 Mel. Power
Ebon 43      
Ebon 44 Fast Kuts Burning LP 1987 Power
Ebon 45 Rankelson The Bastards of Rock'n'Roll LP 1987 Heavy/Sleaze
Ebon 46 Blood Money Battlescarred LP 1987 Power Metal
/NwobHM
Ebon 100 Metal collection Vol.1 Sampler LP 1987 w/Frozen Eyes,Cry,etc...
Ebon 101 Metal collection Vol.2 Sampler LP 1987 w/Dragonslayer (Yes same band with '83 7"!), Centurion, Dealer, Stormchild, etc...
Ebon 102 Metal collection Vol.3 Sampler LP 1987

w/Cerberus, Frankenstein, Impace, Covenent:
Hey, this homepage DOES make sense: Look what JON WISBEY (v) of COVENANT has written to us after viewing this Ebony-Label-List:

Well Covenant's track 'Breaker' is actually featured on vol.3 (iii). I was the vocalist on that track, and it was one of three we recorded for the label in December 1986, at Hemmingbourgh Studeos Yorkshire (Ebony's HQ) for a possible single release, the other tracks were 'Sound of the Gun' and 'First Strike'. The line up was myself (Jon Wisbey) on vocals, Chris Bryant on lead guitar and Andy Wiggins on Bass. We had sacked our drummer a few weeks previous for nicking the bass players girlfriend and so the drumms on all three tracks were played by drum machine. We were planning to use Onslaught Drummer Steve Grice for the session, but he became unavailable at the last minute, the tracks were produced by Daryl Johnson (Head of Ebony). > > Although the single was never officially released I have heard of some test pressings issued early in the summer of 1987 (although I have never seen one!), about the time Ebony started to wind itself up and stop issuing anything by new acts and we were one of the acts cut from the roster. > > We attempted to buy the master tapes as we intended to issue the ourselves but failed to peursade the company to release them. Neat records also made overtures about taking the single over, but again the discussions came to nothing. I quit the band about this time to join Bristol Prog acid rock band Beowulf UK, although Covenant continued gigging around South West England until the early 1990's before calling it a day. > > Just thought this info might fill in a few blanks in your excellent growing history of obscure rock.
Yes it does!! Thanks Jon & stay Metal!!!

Ebon 103      
Ebon 104 Rock meets Metal Sampler LP 1987 Tomb,Spellbinder,Circus.

*Many thanks go out to MIKE GOULD for tons of useful information. Cheers brother!

 

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