Dead Heavens


Dead Heavens is an American rock band consisting of vocalist/guitarist Walter Schreifels, guitarist Paul Kostabi, bass guitarist Nathan Aguilar, and drummer Drew Thomas, as well as their collective interest in classic rock, stoner rock, blues rock, and psychedelic rock. Their name was inspired by the 1972 counterculture film An American Hippie in Israel.

History

Dead Heavens initially began on Schreifels' 2013 solo tour, which featured Aguilar and Thomas as his backing band. Upon returning from the tour, Aguilar introduced Schreifels and Thomas to Paul Kostabi, the owner of Thunderdome Studios. It was at this studio where the four musicians started jamming and recording ideas together, with Kostabi's massive collection of 70s recording reels from the likes of James Gang, Black Sabbath, and Jimi Hendrix playing in between takes for inspiration.
In early 2014, the quartet began playing live shows as Walter Schreifels Band, mixing some of Schreifels' previous bands' songs along with new blues-inspired jams. Over the course of the year, now featuring heavier dual guitar leads, they transitioned from a solo project into a fully collaborative group effort. In October, they began using the name Walter Schreifels and the Dead Heavens, eventually shortening it to Dead Heavens as of February 2015, at which point they were performing with a full set of new material.
Between 2015 and 2017, the band toured the US numerous times and put out four singles on different labels, culminating with the release of their first full-length album, Whatever Witch You Are. While not officially disbanded, Dead Heavens has been on hiatus since the reformation of Quicksand in mid-2017.

Members

Nathan Aguilar - bass guitar
Paul Kostabi - guitar
Walter Schreifels - vocals, guitar
Drew Thomas - drums

Discography

"History in My Hands"/"36 Chambers"
"Adderall Highway"/"Hyacinth"
"Feel Low"/"I'm So Green"
"Away from the Speed"/"Isn't Wrong"
Whatever Witch You Are