HELLION – Screams in the Night 12" Vinyl LP Album

- The 1987 Music for Nations heavy metal debut that unleashed Ann Boleyn’s fire on the UK vinyl scene

Album Front Cover Photo of HELLION – Screams in the Night Visit: https://vinyl-records.nl/

“Screams in the Night” is Hellion’s fierce 1987 debut full-length album — recorded in Hollywood’s Baby O Studios and pressed in England on the iconic Music for Nations label. Led by Ann Boleyn’s commanding vocals and co-produced by Mikey Davis, it fuses American fire with British heavy metal grit. From the explosive opener “Screams in the Night” to the dark pulse of “Children of the Night,” the album stands as a defiant female-fronted statement in an era ruled by hair spray and ego.

Table of Contents

"Screams in the Night" (1987) Album Description:

Pressed in England in 1987 on Music for Nations (MFN 73), “Screams in the Night” catches Hellion at full voltage: Hollywood-born metal tracked at Baby O Studios, pushed by Ann Boleyn’s steel-edged voice, and produced by the band with Mikey Davis. It sounds like a door kicked open and left that way.

Historical and cultural context

By ’87, metal had split its tree: glam on TV, thrash in basements, and a no-frills middle lane where attitude beat hairspray. Hellion parked in that lane—American fire packaged for the UK racks—arriving just as collectors began chasing MFN spines like train numbers.

How the band came to record this album

Sessions at Baby O were a band operation—Hellion and Mikey Davis calling the shots. The UK issue is MFN 73, with cover art by Kevin L. Spiney and photography by Brian Hamblin. Note for collectors: this English pressing has a custom inner sleeve with band photos and details; no printed lyrics on this copy.

The sound, songs, and musical direction

The record runs on riff torque and urgency—sharp guitars, straight-ahead drums, and a vocal cut that doesn’t blink. Opener “Screams in the Night” sets the mission; “Better Off Dead” and “Explode” keep the fuse lit; closer “The Tower of Air” cools the room with a darker, atmospheric edge.

Comparison to its moment

Set against 1987’s gloss, this LP prefers grit and momentum. It’s punch-over-polish—the kind of mastering that makes you reach for volume, not eyeliner.

Band dynamics and creative tensions

The four-piece chemistry is audible: Chet Thompson’s guitars bite, Greg Pecka shakes the floor, Alex Campbell locks the charge, and Boleyn drives the narrative with authority. It plays like instinct over committee—and the tape pays them back.

Female-fronted peers, late ’80s

Hellion weren’t alone at the barricade: Warlock with Doro Pesch (“Triumph and Agony,” 1987), Chastain with Leather Leone (“The Voice of the Cult,” 1988), and Holy Moses with Sabina Classen (“Finished with the Dogs,” 1987) covered Europe-to-US ground with different shades of heavy—same refusal to ask permission.

Critical reception and legacy

This MFN pressing aged into a cult keeper—partly for the sound, partly for what it represents: a band punching above expectations and leaving grooves that still spark. It’s the pull-from-the-shelf LP when you want the room larger, the night louder, and the needle working for a living.

Reflective closing

Spin it now and you get heat, momentum, and presence—no filler, no filler words. The sleeve says 1987; the attitude stays evergreen. Turn it up or step aside.

Album Key Details: Genre, Label, Format & Release Info

Music Genre:

Heavy Metal

Classic 1980s heavy metal blending melodic structure with raw, high-energy performances. “Screams in the Night” embodies that late-decade sound of power riffs and theatrical aggression.

Label & Catalognr:

Music for Nations – Cat#: MFN 73

Media Format:

12" LP Vinyl Gramophone Record

Year & Country:

1987 – Manufactured in the UK

Production & Recording Information:

Producers:
  • Hellion – Band Production
    The band produced their own album to maintain full creative control, reflecting their raw heavy metal roots and independent spirit that defined much of the 1980s underground metal movement.
  • Mikey Davis – Co-Producer
    An experienced studio engineer and producer, Mikey Davis worked on several L.A.-based rock and metal projects during the mid-1980s, known for capturing a clean yet forceful sound characteristic of the Hollywood scene.
Recording Location:

Baby O Studios – Hollywood, USA

Baby O Studios was one of Hollywood’s go-to rooms for hard rock and metal acts in the 1980s, hosting sessions for numerous rising bands in the Los Angeles metal circuit.
Album Cover Design & Artwork:
  • Kevin L. Spiney – Album Cover Art
    Spiney’s cover art combines fantasy and menace, typical of late-’80s heavy metal aesthetics that emphasized intensity and visual drama to match the music’s power.
Photography:
  • Brian Hamblin – Band Photography
    Hamblin’s photography captures Hellion’s energetic stage persona, highlighting their defiant attitude and giving visual identity to one of the few female-fronted metal acts of the era.

Band Members / Musicians:

Band Line-up (Part 1):
  • Ann Boleyn – Vocals
    Ann Boleyn is an American heavy metal vocalist and songwriter best known as the founder and frontwoman of Hellion. Active since the early 1980s, she also led projects under her own name and managed New Renaissance Records, supporting emerging metal acts worldwide. Learn more Ann Bolezn
  • Chet Thompson – Guitars
    Known for his precise, aggressive guitar work, Thompson later gained recognition playing with David Lee Roth and other L.A. metal artists. His performance on this record blends melody and speed with confident stage flair.
Band Line-up (Part 2):
  • Alex Campbell – Bass
    Campbell’s bass lines anchor the record’s heavy rhythm section, contributing to Hellion’s signature dense, driving low-end sound on “Screams in the Night.”
  • Greg Pecka – Drums
    A powerhouse drummer from the California metal scene, Pecka’s hard-hitting precision added intensity and dynamics that became central to Hellion’s sound on their late-’80s releases.

Complete Track-listing:

Side One:
  1. Screams in the Night
  2. Bad Attitude
  3. Better Off Dead
  4. Upside Down Guitar Solo / The Hand
  5. Explode
Video: HELLION - Screams In The Night
Side Two:
  1. Easy Action
  2. Put the Hammer Down
  3. Stick 'Em
  4. Children of the Night
  5. The Tower of Air
Video: HELLION - Children of the Night

Disclaimer: Track durations not printed on sleeve. This is the original 1987 English pressing on Music for Nations (MFN 73).

Additional Information:

This English pressing of “Screams in the Night” is noted for its sharp mastering and vivid artwork presentation typical of Music for Nations releases in the late 1980s. It represents one of the few female-fronted heavy metal albums of its era to gain international distribution, standing alongside Warlock’s “Triumph and Agony” (1987) and Chastain’s “The Voice of the Cult” (1988) as milestones of women-led heavy metal.

Album Front Cover Photo
Front cover of the 1987 Hellion album 'Screams in the Night', released on Music for Nations. The artwork shows the band’s flaming red-orange logo hovering above a glowing metallic sword blade, with a trail of smoke rising from its edge. The design contrasts fire and steel over a deep black background, perfectly capturing the album’s late-’80s heavy metal aesthetic. The lower portion displays the title in icy blue serif lettering, reflecting light as if engraved in glass, symbolizing both danger and intensity.

The front cover of Hellion’s 1987 heavy metal album “Screams in the Night” is a striking composition that fuses light, heat, and sound into a single visual statement. Dominating the black background, the band’s name appears in a fiery, molten-orange logo, its jagged flames curling upward as if the letters themselves are forged in metal and set ablaze. This logo, hand-rendered with precision, communicates the band’s fierce energy and theatrical presence.

Beneath the name, a stylized sword blade extends horizontally across the lower half of the image. Its metallic silver surface glows under thin beams of cold light, with a wisp of white smoke curling up from its sharp edge, creating a contrast between the heat of the flames above and the chill of polished steel below. The glowing reflection evokes sparks at the moment of impact, hinting at the album’s sonic violence and power.

The album title “Screams in the Night” is printed below in crisp, icy-blue lettering with subtle highlights, as though etched into glass. The overall composition, credited to artist Kevin L. Spiney, embodies the late-’80s metal visual language—sharp, sleek, and dramatic—matching the music’s high voltage. This version was issued by Music for Nations (MFN 73) in England, a label renowned for its bold, collectible metal vinyl releases.

The photograph here comes directly from a privately owned vinyl copy. The cover’s deep tones and mirrored finishes create slight variations under studio lighting and flash photography, accentuating the intricate textures of the print and surface wear typical of vintage LP sleeves.

Album Back Cover Photo
Back cover of the 1987 Hellion album 'Screams in the Night' released by Music for Nations. The image features the four band members—Alex Campbell, Ann Boleyn, Chet Thompson, and Greg Pecka—posed against a bright blue background, dressed in black leather and denim. Above them, the album’s track list is printed in white text, while the Music for Nations logo and catalog number MFN 73 appear in the top-right corner. The credits at the bottom identify Baby O Studios, producer Mikey Davis, and artist Kevin L. Spiney.

The back cover of Hellion’s 1987 album “Screams in the Night” serves as both a band portrait and a production showcase, perfectly summarizing the mid-’80s heavy metal aesthetic. The four members—Ann Boleyn, Chet Thompson, Alex Campbell, and Greg Pecka—are framed against a vivid blue backdrop that contrasts with their dark leather and denim clothing, creating a sharp, theatrical effect typical of the era’s visual style.

Positioned at the top of the sleeve, the album’s complete track listing is printed in clean white text, giving a balanced and symmetrical structure to the design. In the upper-right corner, the Music for Nations logo and catalog number MFN 73 confirm this pressing’s British origin. Below the photograph, production credits list Hellion and Mikey Davis as producers, with engineering also attributed to Davis, recorded and mixed at Baby O Studios, Hollywood.

The credit block also mentions Kevin L. Spiney for the cover artwork and Brian Hamblin for photography, acknowledging their crucial visual contributions to the album’s look. Each band member is named beneath their portrait: Alex Campbell on bass, Ann Boleyn on vocals, Chet Thompson on guitar, and Greg Pecka on drums. Their confident expressions and unpolished styling embody the raw energy of the Los Angeles metal scene that birthed the album.

The entire composition delivers the unmistakable tension between rebellion and precision—hallmarks of 1980s heavy metal cover design. It’s more than a lineup photo; it’s a visual manifesto of attitude and authenticity from a band determined to make its mark.

First Photo of Custom Inner Sleeve
Custom inner sleeve of Hellion’s 1987 album 'Screams in the Night' (Music for Nations MFN 73). The black-and-white layout features four individual portraits of the band members—Ann Boleyn, Chet Thompson, Alex Campbell, and Greg Pecka—each in a separate frame. Ann poses wearing a KNAC Pure Rock 105.5 shirt, Chet holds a white electric guitar, while Alex and Greg stand in leather and denim. The center area contains printed acknowledgements thanking supporters, broadcasters, journalists, and fan club directors. The design reflects both professionalism and underground spirit typical of the 1980s heavy metal scene.

The custom inner sleeve of Hellion’s 1987 album “Screams in the Night” is a full black-and-white collage that combines portrait photography with detailed printed acknowledgements. Divided into quadrants, it features individual portraits of the band members—Ann Boleyn, Chet Thompson, Alex Campbell, and Greg Pecka—each positioned in separate panels that convey both personality and unity.

In the upper-left corner, Ann Boleyn stands with her hand on her hip, confidently wearing a KNAC Pure Rock 105.5 T-shirt—an emblem of the Los Angeles radio station that championed many local metal acts. Opposite her, in the top-right, guitarist Chet Thompson poses with a white double-cutaway electric guitar held vertically, his blond hair and leather jacket framing a classic late-’80s metal image.

The lower section displays bassist Alex Campbell on the left and drummer Greg Pecka on the right. Both adopt cool, reserved stances in black leather and denim, balancing the visual heat of the top portraits with grounded composure. Between their images, blocks of printed text fill the center—thank-you notes to friends, journalists, broadcasters, and fan club supporters, along with references to radio stations and underground metal magazines.

The typography is minimal and functional, allowing the photos to remain the dominant visual element. Notably, the sleeve contains no printed lyrics, emphasizing the band’s gratitude and network over textual content. This design—half promotional, half personal—captures the dual energy of 1980s metal: fiercely independent yet deeply connected to its scene.

The photograph reproduces the texture and sheen of the original printed sleeve, with visible grain and fine contrast between light clothing and the matte black paper background, typical of Music for Nations packaging quality.

Close up of Side One record’s label
Close-up of the Side One record label from Hellion’s 1987 album 'Screams in the Night,' released by Music for Nations (MFN 73). The label features a yellow base divided horizontally by the iconic red illustration of the label’s muscular, heroic figure stretching across the top under the 'Music for Nations' logo in bold white serif lettering. The text on the yellow portion lists the band name, album title, catalog number, speed (33⅓ RPM), and track titles. Additional credits at the bottom note production by Hellion and Mikey Davis and copyright © 1987 Hellion Records / New Renaissance, published under Dracula Music, Cat Cabin Music, Cheops Music, and Morgan La Fey Music.

This image shows a close-up of the Side One label from Hellion’s 1987 LP “Screams in the Night”, pressed on the British label Music for Nations under catalog number MFN 73. The label design is instantly recognizable for its distinctive artwork: a bold, hand-drawn male figure, painted in shades of red and tan, stretching his arm across the top portion of the label beneath the white serif Music for Nations logo. The background behind the figure consists of deep red horizontal lines, resembling curtains or motion blurs, adding visual depth.

The lower half of the label is a rich yellow field containing all textual information in clean black type. It lists the side identification (Side One), playback speed (33⅓ RPM), and the band’s name Hellion, followed by the album title in single quotation marks: ‘Screams in the Night’. Below this appear the four track titles for the first side: “Screams in the Night,” “Bad Attitude,” “Better Off Dead,” and “Upside Down Guitar Solo/The Hand.”

Beneath the song list, the credits state: “All songs written by A. Boleyn, A. Campbell, C. Tompson, G. Pecka,” acknowledging each member of the band. The production credit reads, “Produced by Hellion & Mikey Davis,” while publishing information lists several music companies: Dracula Music, Cat Cabin Music, Cheops Music, and Morgan La Fey Music. At the bottom, the fine print notes “℗ 1987 Hellion Records / New Renaissance,” solidifying the connection between the band’s U.S. origins and its European distribution partner.

The label’s composition is a hallmark of Music for Nations’ 1980s visual identity—bright, bold, and immediately collectible. The image captures the glossy vinyl surface, the central spindle hole, and the precision of the label alignment, emphasizing the care typical of original pressings. The color contrast between the red artwork and yellow background gives the record an unmistakable late-’80s metal charisma that still stands out in any collector’s crate.

Index of HELLION Featured Vinyl Records and Album Cover Photo Gallery

Hellion is a band that has had a significant impact on the world of heavy metal. Their unique sound and commitment to promoting women in the genre have made them a force to be reckoned with in the metal community. Although they may not have achieved the mainstream success of some of their peers, Hellion's legacy is secure as a band that helped to shape the future of heavy metal.

HELLION - Self-Titled
Thumbnail Of HELLION - Self-Titled 12" Vinyl LP album front cover

Music For Nations MFN 15 , 1983 , USA

"Hellion's self-titled 12" mini-LP, a hallmark of '80s heavy metal, immortalizes the charismatic Ann Boleyn's vocal prowess and the band's electrifying sound. As the founder of New Renaissance Records, Boleyn's influence extends beyond Hellion's sonic landscape, leaving an enduring legacy in metal history.

HELLION 12" Vinyl Mini-LP
HELLION - Postcards From The Asylum
Thumbnail Of HELLION - Postcards From The Asylum 12" Vinyl LP album front cover

New Renaissance Records . Music For Nations MFN 82 , 1988 , England

The front cover of "Postcards from the Asylum" serves as a portal into the surreal world Hellion invites listeners to explore. The centerpiece of the artwork is Ann Boleyn, the charismatic frontwoman, reaching out to touch a large mirror. This mirror, more than a mere reflection, becomes a symbolic gateway

Postcards From The Asylum 12" Vinyl LP
Updated HELLION - Screams in the Night album front cover vinyl LP album https://vinyl-records.nl
HELLION - Screams in the Night

“Screams in the Night” (1987) erupts from the Los Angeles metal scene with attitude to spare. Ann Boleyn’s fierce voice cuts through walls of guitar fire, launching Hellion into cult legend status. The album swings between molten riffs and midnight drama — the kind of vinyl that doesn’t just play, it stares you down and dares you to turn it up louder.