The Return

Montreal's own Heavenknox are celebrating their comeback after more than 30 years of absence with an album entitled "Kingdom of Light". This album is both a rebirth of the group and a stirring tribute to the songs that made them famous in their homeland. With music inspired by the giants of both the classic rock and progressive hard rock/metal genres (Rush, Iron Maiden and Deep Purple), Heavenknox underline their uniqueness with the daring addition of electric violins to the raw sound of rock.

 

Brought together again by a passion for music, the band members wanted to reconnect with a body of work which, according to the three founding members (singer-violinist Serge Gaudreau, guitarist Deno Amodeo and drummer Michel Landry), remained unfinished. The album is made up of seven songs that deal with themes such as the destruction of mankind, existential search and redemption through the journeys of galactic heroes and knights defenders of good, and the magical power of music that alleviates fears and suffering.

 

The Journey

Heavenknox was born at the end of 1983 and soon the young musicians were making a name for themselves among the Quebec hard rock/metal crowd over the next two years, performing all over the province, notably at Montreal's legendary Moustache Club, at the Olympic Stadium velodrome and at Le Spectrum, under the management of Géo Giguère, editor-in-chief and publisher of Pop Rock magazine and well-known TV host of Famille Rock. In 1985, Heavenknox took part in the Canadian compilation album "Moose Molten Metal" with their original song Look in the Sky, sharing the spotlight with other emerging Quebec hard rock/metal groups such as Dagger, Stormbringer, DDT and Sadwinder. The group, then a quintet, was composed of Serge Gaudreau, Michel Landry, Deno Amodeo, Jacky Le-Dû (second guitarist) and Bob Massicotte (bass). In 1986, following the departure of Jacky and Bob, the band, now a quartet, produced ten songs for a demo album entitled "Mystic Sessions" with the contribution of Éric Beaulé on bass and keyboards. Despite the unwavering support of thousands of diehard fans, the indifference of the major players in the music industry and the media of the time led to the band splitting up in early 1987.

 

However, with the advent of social media, the three founding members Serge, Deno and Michel became aware of the enduring enthusiasm of their fans for Heavenknox's music and, after careful consideration, decided to resurrect the group 31 years later in order to resume the project on a new basis and finally come up with their official debut album.

 

The Members

Renowned self-taught guitarist Deno Amodeo is also one of Heavenknox's songwriters. Deno has played for several well-known artists of the Quebec music scene such as Éric Lapointe, Marjo and Laurence Jalbert, using his great talents as a guitarist and composer. For the past thirty years, Deno has also performed in bars and festivals with his own blues-based projects Bad Boyz Boogie and D & The Boys, before finally reconnecting with Heavenknox in 2018.

 

Violinist and singer Serge Gaudreau is a classically trained performer. He began his musical career by playing in duets and trios in classical and jazz ensembles. At the age of 23, he made his debut as a singer in classic rock cover bands. For the past thirty years, Serge has devoted himself to various rock projects such as musical tributes to Rush and Deep Purple as well as various studio recording sessions. In 2000, Serge took a break from the rock universe to devote himself to opera.

 

Michel Landry found his calling at an early age as he has been playing the drums since the age of 5. Michel joined the blues-rock outfit Bad Boyz Boogie at the turn of the 90s, which gave him an opportunity to perform at the Montreal Jazz Festival. Then, he later joined the tribute bands Presence (Led Zeppelin) and Machine Head (Deep Purple). His desire to create and offer innovative music led him to come up with the instrumental progressive metal project Opusculus. Michel now divides his time between Heavenknox, Opusculus and the Montreal-based tribute band The Judas Priest Experience.

 

Inspired by rock's great virtuosos, Jocelyn Maheux has been playing guitar since the age of 14. His career began in bars as a member of several projects which later allowed him to tread the boards at venues like Le Spectrum, the Foufounes Électriques and Quai des Brumes. After an extensive break, Jocelyn joined his partner Michel's new project Opusculus in 2004. Then in 2018, he was invited by the three founding members of Heavenknox to join the band as a bass player, thus filling the shoes of former member Éric Beaulé.

 

Heavenknox proudly present their first single Diggin’ The Mud as well as their first music video produced by their new management team. Management of the band is currently handled by Mario L. Gagnon, a seasoned music and television producer and director with more than 30 years of experience.