Heavenly (French band)

Last updated

Heavenly
Heavenly french band 3.jpg
Heavenly live in Paris in 2008
Background information
OriginParis, France
Genres
Years active1994–present
Labels
MembersBenjamin Sotto
Frédéric Geai-Schmitt
Nico Marco
Olivier Lapauze
Piwee Desfray

Heavenly is a French power metal band based in Marseille that was formed in 1993 in Paris by vocalist Benjamin Sotto and drummer Max Pilo, originally as a cover band under the name of Satan's Lawyer. In 1994, they changed their name to "Heavenly" and evolved into a full-fledged Helloween-influenced power metal outfit. In 1998, they released a three-track demo with new guitarist Anthony Parker. However, Parker's time with the band was to be short lived, leaving before a record deal with Noise Records was clinched. Heavenly then found a replacement in Chris Savourey and completed their lineup with bassist Laurent Jean.

Contents

The band was signed on Noise Records in 1999. [1] In 2000, Heavenly released their debut album Coming from the Sky . Although it was largely shunned by the media, the album proved a hit with metal fans and its success helped Heavenly land an appearance at the French Hard Rock Festival. With the arrival of a keyboardist, Frédéric Leclercq, and the replacement of departed bassist Laurent Jean with Piere-Emmanuel Pelisson, Heavenly underwent another lineup change shortly before they supported Stratovarius on their 'Infinite' tour. Chris Savourey left soon afterwards, and Frédéric Leclercq took on his role as the band's guitarist.

Heavenly released their second album Sign of the Winner in 2001, and received positive feedback from both fans and media alike. For their following support slot on Edguy's European tour, Charley Corbiaux joined as a second guitarist, and has since become a permanent addition to Heavenly's ranks.

After appearing at Wacken Open Air (the world's biggest metal festival) in 2002, Heavenly set to work recording their third album, Dust to Dust , which was eventually released in early 2004, further solidifying their status as one of France's premier power metal bands.

In 2006, Heavenly released their fourth album, titled Virus . It is a departure from previous efforts, incorporating less double-bass drumming and expanding Sotto's vocal range.

They opened for Scorpions during their 2007 French tour.

In December 2009, they released their fifth album Carpe Diem .

In April 2020, they announced on their Facebook page that they were working on a new album. In October 2022, they performed a setlist including a new track, "Be United, Be the One", at a festival in Vouziers.

Band members

Heavenly performing in 2008 Heavenly french band 2.jpg
Heavenly performing in 2008

Current members

Former members

Timeline

Heavenly (French band)

Discography

Awards

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Agathodaimon (band)</span> German gothic/symphonic black metal band

Agathodaimon are a gothic/symphonic black metal band from Mainz, Germany.

Fairyland is a French symphonic power metal band, created by songwriters Philippe Giordana and Willdric Lievin in 1998.

Will Haven is a noise metal band from Sacramento, California. Formed in 1995, the group released albums through several labels and toured with acts such as Deftones and Soulfly before going on hiatus in 2002. They regrouped in 2005 and have continued to record and tour since. Throughout their history, they have released seven full-length albums as well as two EPs and a live DVD. Their musical style has been described as a combination of many metal and hardcore subgenres.

Frédéric Alexandre "Fred" Leclercq is a French musician and producer, best known as the former longtime bassist for British power metal band DragonForce. He is currently the guitarist and main songwriter in the death metal supergroup Sinsaenum, the guitarist and vocalist in Maladaptive, the bassist and a guitarist in Amahiru, and the bassist of German thrash metal group Kreator and French death metal band Loudblast. He is a session musician for various other bands, including George Lynch's Souls of We. He is also a former member of power metal band Heavenly and played several shows with Carnival in Coal and Sabaton.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Horna</span> Finnish black metal band

Horna is a Finnish black metal band that formed in 1993. The band has appeared on over thirty releases including splits, demos, EPs and albums since 1995, which have been released through numerous record labels. The name "Horna" is Finnish for "abyss" or "hell". It was chosen because, to Shatraug, it sounded harsh and powerful.

<i>Dust to Dust</i> (Heavenly album) 2004 studio album by Heavenly

Dust to Dust is the third full-length studio album by the French power metal band Heavenly. It was released on 12 January 2004 by Noise Records. Dust to Dust is a concept album following a man seeking revenge upon the Master of Doom for transforming him into a vampire and forcing him to prey on the innocent for eternity. The album concludes with the protagonist overcoming his master. He suffers a fatal wound, but he regains his soul and attains paradise.

<i>Sign of the Winner</i> 2001 studio album by Heavenly

Sign of the Winner is the second full-length album by the French power metal band Heavenly. It was released on 24 September 2001 by Noise Records.

Carnival in Coal is an extreme metal/avant-garde metal band from France. Founded in 1995, the band mixed death metal, black metal and other extreme metal genres with genres such as easy listening, disco, and pop.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oliver Hartmann</span> Musical artist

Oliver Hartmann is a German metal vocalist, guitarist, songwriter, and producer who performed in various acts, either as guitarist, solo or choir singer. He is best known for his role as vocalist and one of the founders of the band At Vance, his own band Hartmann and his guest appearances on albums of several prominent metal bands, including Freedom Call, Edguy, Rhapsody, Genius rock opera, Iron Mask, Aina's metal opera Days of Rising Doom and the metal opera Avantasia where he participated as a vocalist in 4 albums and also as a guitarist of the live and studio line up. He is also guitarist and vocalist with the Pink-Floyd tribute band Echoes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Loudblast</span> French death/thrash metal band

Loudblast is a French death/thrash metal band from Villeneuve-d'Ascq that pioneered the genres in France, and one of the most important French metal bands of the 1990s.

<i>Virus</i> (Heavenly album) Album by Heavenly

Virus is the fourth full-length album by French power metal band Heavenly. It was released on 21 September 2006 via Avalon Records.

<i>Coming from the Sky</i> 2000 studio album by Heavenly

Coming from the Sky is the first full-length album by the French power metal band Heavenly. It was released on 25 July 2000 by Noise Records.

<i>Carpe Diem</i> (Will Haven album) 2001 studio album by Will Haven

Carpe Diem is the third studio album by noise metal band Will Haven, released in 2001 by Music For Nations and Revelation Records.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Little Ghost (band)</span>

Little Ghost are a British alternative rock band formed in Shropshire in 2012. The band's music has been described as blend of indie rock, dance-punk and indie pop. As of 2017, Little Ghost are unsigned and release all of their music independently.

<i>Carpe Diem</i> (Heavenly album) 2009 studio album by Heavenly

Carpe Diem is the fifth full-length album by French power metal band Heavenly. It was released on 18 December 2009 via AFM Records.

Walter TV is a Canadian indie rock band, consisting of Pierce McGarry, Joe McMurray (drums) and Simon Ankenman (bass). To date, the band has released three studio albums, Appetite (2013), Blessed (2015) and Carpe Diem (2017).

<i>Versus</i> (Little Ghost album) 2015 studio album by Little Ghost

Versus is the debut studio album by the British rock band Little Ghost. Released on 14 September 2015, the album was self-produced and self-released by the band exclusively via their Bandcamp page and a limited run of compact disks. Despite being their debut album, Versus represents a musical shift in styles from the band's previous release Queen Bee EP with Versus being much more stripped back and relying on typical rock-band instrumentation. The artwork for the album and its respective singles was produced by photographer Matthew Draper and was inspired by the piece "Boy Meets Girl" by the street-artist Banksy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sinsaenum</span> Blackened death metal band

Sinsaenum is a multinational blackened death metal supergroup, formed in 2016. The band features French guitarists Frédéric Leclercq and Stéphane Buriez, American vocalist Sean Zatorsky in a co-lead role with Hungarian vocalist Attila Csihar, and French bassist Heimoth. Up until his death in late July 2021, American drummer Joey Jordison performed drum duties. Sinsaenum released their debut album Echoes of the Tortured in July 2016.

<i>Echoes of the Tortured</i> 2016 studio album by Sinsaenum

Echoes of the Tortured is the debut album by metal supergroup Sinsaenum. It was released on July 29, 2016.

<i>Carpe Diem</i> (Saxon album) 2022 studio album by Saxon

Carpe Diem is the twenty-third studio album by English heavy metal band Saxon released in 2022.

References

  1. AllMusic biography by James Christopher Monger
General sources

https://www.rockhard.de/band/heavenly_59993.html