Megadeth guitarist David Ellefson is going to be re-starting the Combat Records label through his EMP Label Imprint. EMP hopes to have the label up and running by 2018. Megadeth's album Killing is My Business was released on the label in 1985. Combat released many thrash and punk albums in the 80s, including releases by Circle Jerks, Agnostic Front, Charged GBH, Crumbsuckers,Carcass,Napalm Death, Murphys Law, Exodus, and Nuclear Assault. Prior to the EMP acquisition, Combat went dormant in the early 2000s after a slow down of releases and had changed hands multiple times.

EMP stated: "“So we have a huge announcement to make. And, for once, that is really, truly, an understatement. We have teased this for a while, but now the cat is officially coming out of the bag. Most of you will remember Combat Records as one of the seminal thrash labels of the 1980s, their most prominent artist being, of course, Megadeth (the COMBAT imprint appeared on all MEGADETH releases through RUST IN PEACE.) Combat was also home to Helstar, Circle Jerks, Exodus, Nuclear Assault, and many more of the most influential Metal and Punk bands of all time. After a handful of ownership changes and weird attempted reboots, COMBAT went dormant in the early 2000s and ceased to exist. in 2016, David Ellefson, with his partner Thom Hazaert from EMP Label Group, did the due diligence to research and acquire the intellectual property and the COMBAT brand, and bring it home to the EMP family. With the UTMOST respect to the legacy of the past, COMBAT will relaunch in 2018 as an imprint of EMP LABEL GROUP, releasing not only releases from classic Thrash and Metal artists, but as a home for new and up and coming artists as well. It is an honor and a privilege to resurrect one of the World’s most recognized and beloved Metal brands, that has been such an instrumental and important piece of David‘s history and legacy. This is really only HALF the story, as we have secured some releases from mind-blowing legendary artists that we are dying to announce.. Look for a full press release coming later this week with more details, info on some releases, etc. But all things in good time. Ladies and Gentlemen, prepare for COMBAT.”"