Heaven's Basement
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 2008 |
| Defunct | January 2017 |
| Headquarters | United Kingdom |
Key people | Aaron Buchanan (vocals), Sid Glover (guitar, vocals), Rob Ellershaw (bass, backing vocals), Chris Rivers (drums) |
| Products | Music albums and EPs |
Heaven's Basement was a British rock group established in 2008 and affiliated with Red Bull Records. The lineup featured Aaron Buchanan on vocals, Sid Glover handling guitar and vocals, Rob Ellershaw on bass with backing vocals, and Chris Rivers on drums. The band ceased activities in January 2017.
Their first full-length album, Filthy Empire, came out in 2013. The initial single, "Fire, Fire," launched in September 2012, climbed to number 11 on the Mainstream Rock chart.
Heaven's Basement EP (2008–2010)
Recognized for their vigorous touring schedule and dynamic performances, Heaven's Basement made their live debut in April 2008. They supported prominent bands such as Papa Roach, Bon Jovi, Theory of a Deadman, Shinedown, and Black Veil Brides during European tours, and appeared at major festivals including Download Festival and Sonisphere Festival. Production work involved collaboration with producer Bob Marlette.
The band had the opportunity to open for Bon Jovi at Manchester’s City of Manchester Stadium before an audience of approximately 50,000. Their self-titled EP was recorded at Sandhills studio located in Liverpool. Following extensive club tours across the UK, they supported Thunder on both UK and European circuits in late 2008 and early 2009.
In September 2009, bassist Rob Randell departed due to personal circumstances; Jonny Rocker stepped in temporarily until Rob Ellershaw joined later that year. During October, they toured the UK supporting Papa Roach on the Metamorphosis tour. Both Metal Hammer and Kerrang! magazines acknowledged them as one of Britain’s top live acts. They headlined a UK tour in December 2009 with support from Dear Superstar and New Device.
Sessions produced by Bob Marlette in 2009 yielded tracks for their EP along with unreleased recordings.
In February 2010, original lead vocalist Richie Hevanz left due to the rigors of touring. Shortly thereafter, Heaven's Basement toured Europe supporting Theory of a Deadman, with Johnny Fallen temporarily handling vocal duties while the band searched for a permanent frontman. They performed at prestigious festivals including Sonisphere and Sweden’s Getaway Festival, sharing stages with bands like Deftones and Airbourne.
In July 2010, guitarist Jonny Rocker sustained a finger injury just before opening for Papa Roach, resulting in the band completing summer dates as a four-piece ensemble.
By August 2010, the band announced a break from touring to concentrate on writing new material and recruiting a permanent lead singer.
Unbreakable EP (2011)
On 17 February 2011, Heaven's Basement revealed Aaron Buchanan (formerly of Oceans Upon Us) as their new lead vocalist, while rhythm guitarist Jonny Rocker departed to pursue a career behind the scenes in music production. Continuing as a quartet, they released "Unbreakable," which served as the title track for their second EP. The Unbreakable EP was launched on 5 May during their UK headline tour and subsequently made available on iTunes. Extensive touring across the UK took place from May through June.
Following this successful run, Heaven's Basement secured acoustic performances at Download Festival and Sonisphere Festival, along with a main-stage slot at High Voltage Festival in London where they shared billing with Judas Priest, Dream Theater, and Slash. The band stressed that their acoustic sets would retain the intensity characteristic of their electric shows.
In October 2011, they spent a month recording new material in Los Angeles. By November, they had signed with Red Bull Records. The track "Paper Plague," recorded during these sessions, was released as a complimentary download alongside announcements of three shows scheduled for December.
Filthy Empire, Buchanan's exit and the band's dissolution (2012–2017)
In September 2012, Heaven's Basement unveiled "Fire, Fire," a single extracted from their first full-length album, Filthy Empire, which was co-written and produced by John Feldmann. To support the album, they embarked on a European tour with Halestorm and made their American live debut as the opening act for The Darkness at Club Nokia in Los Angeles on 24 October 2012. Their touring schedule continued with UK and European dates alongside Seether in November 2012, followed by performances at the Carolina Rebellion and Rock on The Range festivals in 2013. They also toured with Buckcherry before leading their own headline tour across the UK in July, then proceeded to tour North America with The Pretty Reckless and Louna. The year concluded with UK and European shows supporting Black Veil Brides. Additionally, they were slated to perform at Australia's Soundwave Festival in 2014.
The debut album Filthy Empire was released on 4 February 2013 to positive critical reception, including a KKKK rating from Kerrang, and achieved a peak position of No. 9 on the BBC Rock Album Chart in the UK. It featured singles such as "Fire, Fire," "Nothing Left to Lose," and "I Am Electric," each accompanied by music videos. Notably, "Fire, Fire" reached No. 11 on the US Mainstream Rock chart in May 2013.
On 21 October 2015, Heaven's Basement announced that Aaron Buchanan had left the band, stating that their collaboration had naturally come to an end. Buchanan went on to establish Aaron Buchanan & The Cult Classics in April 2016; their debut album, titled "The Man With Stars On His Knees," was mastered at Abbey Road Studios and released to critical acclaim in May 2017.
In 2016, former member Richie Hevanz took on the role of frontman for Fragile Things after a short stint with Endless Mile; he later became lead vocalist for Misery's Smile as of July 2021.
January 2017 saw Heaven's Basement officially declare their breakup via social media channels. Shortly thereafter, ex-members Sid Glover and Rob Ellershaw formed The Cruel Knives alongside Tom Harris and Al Junior.
Band members
- Chris Rivers — drums (2008–2017)
- Sid Glover — lead guitar, vocals (2008–2017)
- Rob 'Bones' Ellershaw — bass guitar, backing vocals (2009–2017)
- David Radahd-Jones (Jonny Rocker) — rhythm guitar, backing vocals (2008–2011)
- Rob Randell — bass guitar (2008–2009)
- Richie Hevanz — lead vocals (2008–2010)
- Aaron Buchanan — lead vocals (2011–2015)
Touring musicians
- Johnny Fallen — lead vocals (2010)
- James Sinclair — lead vocals (2010)
- Danny Worsnop – lead vocals (2015)
- Tom Harris — lead vocals (2016–2017)
Discography
- Heaven's Basement (EP) (2008)
- Unbreakable (EP) (2011)
- Filthy Empire (2013)
In popular culture
"I Am Electric" was included on the soundtrack for the video game Need for Speed: Most Wanted and is featured as a playable song in Rock Band 4.
The track "Fire, Fire" appeared on the soundtrack of NHL 14.