[1] The band's original lineup included Ann Boleyn (vocals), Ray Schenck (guitar), Sean Kelley (drums) and Peyton Tuthill (bass).
While residing at the mansion, Hellion recorded a homemade demo cassette, which resulted in the band gaining attention in both underground and mainstream music magazines.
[3] In late 1982, Hellion was approached by Mystic Records, a Hollywood-based punk label, who wanted to include "Nightmares in Daylight" on a compilation album.
Several weeks prior to the recording session, Peyton Tuthill left the band, citing Ann Boleyn's involvement in the occult arts as his reason.
At the last minute Brian West of London, who had played in the Seattle-based band, Power Program, with Ann Boleyn, was brought in for the recording session which took place on New Year's Eve.
[3] During the summer of 1983, Hellion was voted by readers of L.A. Street Scene Magazine as the Best Local Heavy Metal Act.
By 1983, America's major record companies were in the process of signing dozens of hard rock and metal bands.
Van Halen's manager, Ed Leffler, and others, however offered to make singer Ann Boleyn into "the next Pat Benatar" on the condition that she have cosmetic surgery and leave Hellion.
[3] In July 1984, Hellion entered Sound City Recording Studios in Van Nuys, California, with famed engineer, Angelo Arcuri, and with Ronnie James Dio producing.
One song from those sessions, "Run For Your Life", was later released on Roadrunner Records, and received substantial radio airplay on KMET and KNAC, as well as abroad.
Soon after the split Dana Strum produced a demo for the newly formed band Burn, with the financial assistance of Curt Lorraine.
Boleyn soon gathered a new Hellion line-up featuring ex-Romeo guitarist Chet Thompson, ex-Lion bassist Alex Campbell, and ex-Dokken drummer Greg Pecka.
One song from those sessions, entitled "The Hand", appears on the California's Best Metal compilation album, which was released by Greenworld Records.
Ken Scott's memories of recording with Hellion are chronicled in his book entitled From Abbey Road To Ziggy Stardust which was released in 2012.
With the exception of The Plasmatics, Hellion's video marked the first time a female-fronted metal band was featured on MTV.
Although Screams in the Night gained substantial national and international radio airplay and television appearances, by the end of 1986, the new (Mark II) line-up began fighting about the band's musical direction.
Members blamed Ann Boleyn's insistence on a European-style heavy metal direction, that included occult and antisocial themes in her lyrics, as the reason for their failure to secure a major-label recording deal.
A short time later, Burn disbanded, leaving Ray Schenck, Alan Barlam and Sean Kelley without a band.
[3] At one point Hellion's remake of the Judas Priest track "Exciter",[3] was listed on the play-lists of over 124 radio stations.
Restless eventually released The Black Book, but the packaging was of substantially lower quality than the gate-fold version that was sold in England and Japan.
Due to legal problems facing the producer, Mikey Davis, after the recording was begun, Will Not Go Quietly was not completed for nearly a year and a half.
In 2003, Hellion's music business manager, James Paul Jr., entered a plea of guilty in the murder-for-hire case of his wife, Bonnie, according to a spokesman from the Los Angeles Police Department.