Music For Nations (MFN) is a British

independent record label An independent record label (or indie label) is a record label that operates without the funding or distribution of major record labels; they are a type of small- to medium-sized enterprise, or SME. The labels and artists are often represented ...

focusing mainly on

rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...

and

metal A metal (from Greek μέταλλον ''métallon'', "mine, quarry, metal") is a material that, when freshly prepared, polished, or fractured, shows a lustrous appearance, and conducts electricity and heat relatively well. Metals are typicall ...

. It was a subsidiary of the larger label distributor

Zomba Records The Zomba Group of Companies (sometimes referred to as Zomba Music Group or just Zomba Group) was a music group and division owned by and operated under Sony Music Entertainment. The division was renamed to Jive Label Group in 2009 and was place ...

, which was a division of BMG and later

Sony Music Entertainment Sony Music Entertainment (SME), also known as simply Sony Music, is an American multinational music company. Being owned by the parent conglomerate Sony Group Corporation, it is part of the Sony Music Group, which is owned by Sony Entertainment ...

. Launched in 1983 by Martin Hooker, Music For Nations established itself as a European leader in the

and

world, with early signings like

Tank A tank is an armoured fighting vehicle intended as a primary offensive weapon in front-line ground combat. Tank designs are a balance of heavy firepower, strong armour, and good battlefield mobility provided by tracks and a powerful engi ...

, Exciter, Metallica (who had three gold albums while on MFN), Slayer and Megadeth paving the way. As MFN grew, the company expanded its operation to include not just licensed acts from the United States, but its own signings. It released albums by artists including Paradise Lost, Opeth,

Anathema Anathema, in common usage, is something or someone detested or shunned. In its other main usage, it is a formal excommunication. The latter meaning, its ecclesiastical sense, is based on New Testament usage. In the Old Testament, anathema was a cr ...

, Cradle of Filth, Testament and countless other metal bands. As well as the traditional metal bands MFN went on to sign up and coming UK bands such as

Tigertailz Tigertailz are a Welsh glam metal band from Cardiff. Their 1990 album '' Bezerk'' made the Top 40 on the UK Albums Chart and contained the hit singles "Love Bomb Baby" and "Heaven". The band reformed in 2005. History Formation and early year ...

who had a top 40 album while signed to Music For Nations. In 2004, the label closed down. The company's catalogue — which had also previously included titles from artists as varied as

Lost Horizon ''Lost Horizon'' is a 1933 novel by English writer James Hilton. The book was turned into a film, also called '' Lost Horizon'', in 1937 by director Frank Capra. It is best remembered as the origin of Shangri-La, a fictional utopian lamas ...

and Frank Zappa — was transferred to parent company Zomba Records Group. In December 2011,

The End Records The End Records is a record label in Manhattan that specializes in rock, heavy metal, indie, and electronic music. Early years (1998–2005) The End Records was founded by Andreas Katsambas in Pasadena, California, with the goal of helping ...

signed a distribution deal for 50 of MFN's catalog albums. In February 2015, MFN relaunched through Sony's commercial department, with plans to reissue albums from their catalogue including

, Paradise Lost, Opeth,

Spiritual Beggars Spiritual Beggars is a stoner metal band from Halmstad, Sweden, formed by Michael Amott, who is known from Arch Enemy, Carcass (band), Carcass and Carnage (band), Carnage. The band is heavily influenced by 1970s hard rock and incorporates ele ...

, Cradle of Filth and others. They also intend to, in the spirit of the label's original purpose, sign original heavy talent for singles, EPs and compilation albums. In October 2017, MFN signed two newcomers, metalcore band Bury Tomorrow and

ambient rock Post-rock is a form of experimental rock characterized by a focus on exploring textures and timbre over traditional rock song structures, chords, or riffs. Post-rock artists are often instrumental, typically combining rock instrumentation wit ...

band Blanket. In June 2018, American metalcore band

Killswitch Engage Killswitch Engage is an American metalcore band from Westfield, Massachusetts, formed in 1999 after the disbanding of Overcast and Aftershock. Killswitch Engage's current lineup consists of vocalist Jesse Leach, guitarists Joel Stroetzel an ...

joined MFN's UK roster; the band's forthcoming album will be marketed by

Metal Blade Records Metal Blade Records is an American independent record label founded by Brian Slagel in 1982. The US office for Metal Blade is located in Agoura Hills, California. It also has offices in Germany, Japan, Canada, and the UK. The label is distr ...

in the United States, and internationally through Columbia/Sony.

Roster

Acid Drinkers Acid Drinkers are a Polish thrash metal band formed in September 1986 in Poznań. Acid Drinkers were formed on 21 September 1986 consisting of Tomasz "Titus" Pukacki (vocals, bass) and Robert "Litza" Friedrich (guitar, vocals). The band's style ...

(1990–1992) (Subsidiary label – Under One Flag) *

Agent Steel Agent Steel is an American speed metal band from Los Angeles, formed in 1984 by vocalist John Cyriis with drummer Chuck Profus. The band released two full-length albums and one EP before disbanding in 1988. They were most notable for Cyriis' hi ...

Alaska Alaska ( ; russian: Аляска, Alyaska; ale, Alax̂sxax̂; ; ems, Alas'kaaq; Yup'ik: ''Alaskaq''; tli, Anáaski) is a state located in the Western United States on the northwest extremity of North America. A semi-exclave of the U.S., ...

Amplifier An amplifier, electronic amplifier or (informally) amp is an electronic device that can increase the magnitude of a signal (a time-varying voltage or current). It may increase the power significantly, or its main effect may be to boost t ...

* Anthem * Anthrax *

Apes, Pigs & Spacemen Apes, Pigs & Spacemen (a.k.a. AP&S) are a British rock band formed in Derby in 1993. History The band initially comprised Paul Miro (vocals), Kettle (guitar) aka Martin Chaisson, real name Martin Smith formerly of Waysted, UFO, If Only and no ...

* Apocalypse *

Astroid Boys Astroid Boys are a Welsh rap rock band from Cardiff, whose music has been called a mix of hardcore punk and grime music. Career 2012–2015 Started in 2012 by co-frontman Traxx, the intention was to create something that merged his past as a p ...

(Subsidiary label – Under One Flag) *

Baby Tuckoo Baby Tuckoo was an English hard rock band, formed in Bradford, West Yorkshire, England in 1982. Their name is taken from the first sentence of the James Joyce novel ''A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man''. They were generally considered ...

Battleaxe A battle axe (also battle-axe, battle ax, or battle-ax) is an axe specifically designed for combat. Battle axes were specialized versions of utility axes. Many were suitable for use in one hand, while others were larger and were deployed two-ha ...

* Bury Tomorrow * The Beyond * Candlemass *

Chrome Molly Chrome Molly are an English hard rock band from Leicester. They formed in 1982, releasing four albums before splitting up in 1991. They re-formed in 2009. History The band formed in 1982, and after an early demo settled on a line-up of singe ...

* Cradle of Filth * Creation of Death (1991–1992) (Subsidiary label – Under One Flag) * Darkmoon *

Dispatched Dispatched were a Swedish melodic death metal band from Södertälje (originally from the Gnesta Municipality) formed in 1992. History Dispatched was formed just before New Year's Eve, 1991 by Daniel Lundberg and Krister Andersson. Jonas Kimbr ...

* Dead Potatoes (2003–2006) * Dearly Beheaded (1995–1998) * Dragon (1990–1991) (Subsidiary label – Under One Flag) * Drive She Said * Earthshaker * Entombed * Exciter *

Exodus Exodus or the Exodus may refer to: Religion * Book of Exodus, second book of the Hebrew Torah and the Christian Bible * The Exodus, the biblical story of the migration of the ancient Israelites from Egypt into Canaan Historical events * Ex ...

The Exploited The Exploited are a Scottish punk rock band from Edinburgh, formed in 1979 by Stevie Ross and Terry Buchan, with Buchan soon replaced by his brother Wattie Buchan. They signed to Secret Records in March 1981,

(Subsidiary label – Rough Justice) * Freak of Nature *

Godflesh Godflesh are an English industrial metal band from Birmingham. The group formed in 1982 under the title Fall of Because but did not release any complete music until 1988 when Justin Broadrick (guitar, vocals and programming) and G. C. Gre ...

* Hed PE * Hellion *

Helstar Helstar is an American heavy metal band formed in Houston, Texas, in 1982 by guitarist Larry Barragan. They were an influential force in the American power metal genre emerging in the mid-1980s. History Early days and Combat-era (1982–1986) H ...

* Hot Milk *

InMe InMe are an English rock band originally formed in Brentwood, Essex in 1996. InMe have released seven studio albums, two EPs, one "bootleg" album, one best-of compilation, one live album, one live EP and an acoustic album. A DVD of the band's ...

* Juster *

Legs Diamond Jack "Legs" Diamond (possibly born John Thomas Diamond, though disputed; July 10, 1897 – December 18, 1931), also known as Gentleman Jack, was an Irish American gangster in Philadelphia and New York City during the Prohibition era. A bootle ...

Loudness In acoustics, loudness is the subjective perception of sound pressure. More formally, it is defined as, "That attribute of auditory sensation in terms of which sounds can be ordered on a scale extending from quiet to loud". The relation of ph ...

* Lowfive * Manowar * Eric Martin * Meanstreak * Megadeth *

Mercyful Fate Mercyful Fate is a Danish heavy metal band from Copenhagen, formed in 1981 by vocalist King Diamond and guitarist Hank Shermann. Influenced by progressive rock and hard rock, and with lyrics dealing with Satan and the occult, Mercyful Fat ...

* Metallica *

Mike Tramp Michael Trempenau (born 14 January 1961), better known as Mike Tramp, is a Danish singer best known for his work with the glam metal band White Lion. Since 1998, he has also released several solo albums. In 2012, Tramp went on a solo acoustic to ...

Milk Teeth Deciduous teeth or primary teeth, also informally known as baby teeth, milk teeth, or temporary teeth,Illustrated Dental Embryology, Histology, and Anatomy, Bath-Balogh and Fehrenbach, Elsevier, 2011, page 255 are the first set of teeth in the ...

Mindfunk Mind Funk (spelled Mindfunk on later releases) was an American rock band, containing members of Chemical Waste and several other bands. The band was originally known as "Mind Fuck" but were forced by Epic Records to change their name. They sig ...

* Nightshade *

Nuclear Assault Nuclear Assault was an American thrash metal band formed in New York City in 1984. Part of the mid-to-late 1980s thrash metal movement, they were one of the main bands of the genre to emerge from the East Coast along with Overkill, Whiplash, ...

Onslaught Onslaught may refer to: Characters * Onslaught (Marvel Comics), a Marvel Comics supervillain * Onslaught (DC Comics), a DC Comics team of Quraci terrorists * Onslaught (Transformers), the leader of the Combaticons in the ''Transformers'' series ...

* Opeth * Paradise Lost * Simon Phillips *

Porcupine Tree Porcupine Tree are an English rock band formed by musician Steven Wilson in 1987. During an initial career spanning more than twenty years, they earned critical acclaim from critics and fellow musicians, developed a cult following, and became ...

(2021-present) * Q5 *

Ratt Ratt is an American glam metal band formed in San Diego, California, in the 1970s, that had significant commercial success in the 1980s, with their albums having been certified as gold, platinum, and multi-platinum by the RIAA. The group is bes ...

* Rio *

The Rods The Rods are an American heavy metal band formed in 1980 by David "Rock" Feinstein (guitar, vocals) orn in 1947 Steven Starmer (bass, vocals), and Carl Canedy (drums, vocals). After the first album Starmer was replaced by Garry Bordonaro. Feins ...

* Rogue Male * Rox *

Sarcófago Sarcófago was a Brazilian extreme metal band formed in 1985. They were fronted by Sepultura's original singer, Wagner Lamounier, and Geraldo Minelli. The front cover of the band's debut album, '' I.N.R.I.'', is regarded as a great influence o ...

(1985–1986) *

Savatage Savatage () was an American heavy metal band founded by brothers Jon and Criss Oliva in 1979 in Tarpon Springs, Florida. The band was first called Avatar, but, shortly before the release of their debut album '' Sirens'' (1983), they changed t ...

* Sirrah (1995–1999) *

Jack Starr Jack Starr (born 1951) is an American heavy metal and blues guitarist and songwriter, born of a French mother and American father. Biography He learned to play guitar by ear, copying the riffs of R&B records. His first semi-professional ban ...

* SugarComa (2001–2003) * Sugarcreek * Suicide Squad * Surgin *

* Testament * Thrasher *

(1990–2005) * TKO *

Tyketto Tyketto is an American hard rock band, based out of New York City, New York, United States. The group was put together in 1987 by the former Waysted vocalist Danny Vaughn, with Brooke St. James (guitar), Jimi Kennedy (bass), and Michael Clayton ...

Turbo In an internal combustion engine, a turbocharger (often called a turbo) is a forced induction device that is powered by the flow of exhaust gases. It uses this energy to compress the intake gas, forcing more air into the engine in order to pr ...

(1990–1991) (Subsidiary label – Under One Flag) *

Robin Trower Robin Leonard Trower (born 9 March 1945) is an English rock guitarist who achieved success with Procol Harum throughout 1967–1971, and then again as the bandleader of his own power trio known as the Robin Trower Band. Biography Robin Trowe ...

Twelfth Night ''Twelfth Night'', or ''What You Will'' is a romantic comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written around 1601–1602 as a Twelfth Night's entertainment for the close of the Christmas season. The play centres on the twins Vi ...

Tygers of Pan Tang Tygers of Pan Tang are an English heavy metal band who are part of the new wave of British heavy metal movement. They formed in 1978 in Whitley Bay, England, and were active until 1987. The band reformed in 1999 and continue to record and perf ...

Venom Venom or zootoxin is a type of toxin produced by an animal that is actively delivered through a wound by means of a bite, sting, or similar action. The toxin is delivered through a specially evolved ''venom apparatus'', such as fangs or a st ...

(1989–1992) (Subsidiary label – Under One Flag) *

Virgin Steele Virgin Steele is an American heavy metal band from New York, originally formed in 1981. The band released a few career highlights albums (''Noble Savage'', '' The Marriage of Heaven and Hell Part I'', '' The Marriage of Heaven and Hell Part II ...

* W.A.S.P. *

Wolf Spider Wolf spiders are members of the family Lycosidae (). They are robust and agile hunters with excellent eyesight. They live mostly in solitude, hunt alone, and do not spin webs. Some are opportunistic hunters, pouncing upon prey as they find it or ...

(1990–1991) (Subsidiary label – Under One Flag) *

Waysted Waysted were a British heavy metal band, formed by former UFO bassist Pete Way and the Scottish rocker Fin Muir (Ian Muir) in 1982. Recruiting Frank Noon (formerly with Def Leppard), Ronnie Kayfield and Paul Raymond, Waysted signed to Chrysal ...

* Wendy O. Williams * XisLoaded

References

External links

Official websiteMusic For Nations at Discogs.com
{{Authority control British record labels Record labels established in 1983 Record labels disestablished in 2004 Record labels established in 2015 Re-established companies Rock record labels Heavy metal record labels Zomba Group of Companies subsidiaries 1983 establishments in the United Kingdom

Roster

See also

References

External links