Started up in the late 70's by the management of HANDSOME BEASTS, first as vehicle for releasing the early HB singles but quickly catching on to the NWOHBM-phenomenon and signing other Midlands acts to their label. Soon horizons were broadened and a number of sublabels quicky emerged, of which I've chosen to include Heavy Metal America, Heavy Metal Worldwide and Heavy Metal Records Canada, even if for the most part, their relation to Metal is in name only. The FM/Revolver sublabel later shared the same catalogue system and while it did include some hard rock it's generally even more off-topic (and it didn't have the words "heavy" or "metal" in it so I couldn't be bothered.)

Their early 7"s included plenty of classic, genre-defining releases, but year after year they turned further and further away from the Metal path and by the mid 80's they're good on the way of becoming one of the least properly Heavy Metal-inclined labels featured in this part of the Corroseum, which is both ironic and a bit sad (as always when time, money & effort is spent on lesser things than Heavy Metal). Still, they did once present the world with the mighty WITCHFINDER GENERAL and CLOVEN HOOF Mark II so we can almost forgive them their trespasses.

This list aims to cover their complete vinyl discography, meaning a few CD-releases from the mid 90's have been left out - none of them Metal, mind you. Thanx to a rather messy catalogue system it's been difficult to list their releases in a perfectly coherrent manner. Here's how I finally decided to do it:

• Right below are the classic Heavy Metal Records 7" singles that started it all.
• Next are a few 12" EPs. Note that most of the labels' 12"-releases were non-Metal stuff on FM/Revolver, hence the sporadic cat#s. (It's possible there's some HM Worldwide or HM America release out there still not listed though..)
• After that comes the early Heavy Metal Records LP releases, from when they still used a unique number series.
• ..then the early Heavy Metal Worldwide LPs - same deal.
• ..then the early Heavy Metal America LPs - same again.
• ...then the major LP list from when all 3 imprints started using the same catalogue index, including the odd FM/Revolver platter I felt worth a mention. The unmentioned cat#s as well as most of the requested ones should mostly be FM/Revolver stuff.
• Finally, more or less as an afterthought, the very short-lived one-year operation Heavy Metal Records Canada.

Incidently, their home page is unusually informative for an olde HM label, including bios from most old signings