Heaven's Force
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1983 in Fort Worth, Texas, United States |
| Defunct | 1984 |
| Headquarters | Fort Worth , United States |
Key people | Dave Gryder, Chris Richie, Kelly Berger |
| Products | Demo recordings: Aggressive Angel (1983), Heaven's Force (1984); Compilation album: Aggressive Angel (2009) |
Heaven's Force was a pioneering American Christian metal group originating from Fort Worth, Texas in 1983, known as one of the earliest Christian thrash metal ensembles. The band consisted of vocalist and drummer Dave Gryder, guitarist Chris Richie, and bassist Kelly Berger. They produced two demo recordings: Aggressive Angel (1983) and a self-titled demo (1984), before dissolving by the end of 1984. Richie sadly passed away by suicide in 2008 after enduring a long battle with depression. Subsequently, Gryder stated in a 2014 interview that the band would not reform without Richie. In 2009, Open Grave Records re-released their demos compiled into the album Aggressive Angel. Their musical style has been likened to that of Slayer, Venom, and Exciter.
Members
- Final lineup
- Dave Gryder – drums, vocals
- Christopher "Chris" Richie – guitar (deceased 2008)
- Kelly Berger – bass guitar
Discography
- Demo recordings
- Aggressive Angel (1983)
- Heaven's Force (1984)
- Compilation release
- Aggressive Angel (2009)
- Appearances on compilations
- Texas Metal Archives Volume One (2009; Metal Rising/Brainticket Records)
- Back in the Day: An Old School Compilation (2018; The Bearded Dragon Productions)