Biography

Heaven was a heavy metal band from Sydney, Australia that formed in 1980. The band recorded three albums and toured throughout the United States during the 1980s. The group’s original style was similar to that of AC/DC but in later years went in a more commercial heavy metal direction along the lines of Judas Priest. The band was originally formed in Adelaide under the name Fat Lip, which featured Scottish-born Allan Fryer, bassist Laurie Marlow, and drummer Joe Turtur. Soon after the band moved to Sydney, AC/DC singer Bon Scott died in London and some unsubstantiated reports suggested that band was considering Fryer as a replacement. Fryer left Fat Lip and returned to Adelaide but he was never called upon to audition. Once back in Sydney, Fat Lip now consisted of Fryer and Marlow, Aldo Civitico (ex-Scandal) on drums and guitarist Bradford Kelly, originally from the band Swanee. Civitico dropped out just before the band signed its record deal, and Joe Turtur joined the band. Shortly afterward, Fat Lip came to the attention of Michael Browning, an icon of the Australia music industr who had managed AC/DC in the 1970s and had just started a new record label called Deluxe Records, to which he had signed INXS. Fat Lip began recording an album for Deluxe, but changed its name to Heaven during the sessions. Heaven are one Australia's pioneering power metal bands and regard as key influences from acts including The Foo Fighters, Guns and Rose and Bon Jovi to name a few.