Heliopolis was conceived in the summer of 2012 by bassist Kerry Chicoine following his departure from his previous band Mars Hollow. Joined by former Mars Hollow drummer Jerry Beller and Gabble Ratchet keyboardist/vocalist Matt Brown, the three musicians set out with the intent of forming an Emerson, Lake and Palmer style trio. Those plans were quickly derailed after guitarist Michael Matier (formerly of Ten Jinn) and vocalist Scott Jones (formerly of Rocket Scientists) signed on, and Heliopolis was officially born.
They soon achieved widespread critical acclaim with the release of their first album, City of the Sun. Quickly establishing a powerfully progressive style, their sound was an instant classic, as was made clearer than ever in a coruscating performance at RoSFest 2015 – a performance which is immortalised in a new live album, Epic at the Majestic: Heliopolis Live at RoSFest.
Bassist Kerry Chicoine had this to say:
"All of us are excited to be partnering with Bad Elephant Music for the release of our live album. For a relatively new label with an incredibly diverse and unquestionably talented roster, BEM have forged their own unique path and they're now at the forefront of the progressive rock music scene. We're hoping this is the beginning of a long and fruitful partnership."Epic at the Majestic: Heliopolis Live at RoSFest is slated for a June 2016 release. Mixed by Michael Matier and mastered by Mike Bozzi at Bernie Grundman Mastering (Los Angeles), the album is intended to act as a calling card indicating the band’s formidable performance skills and ability to execute complex material in front of a live audience with passion, skill, enthusiasm and humour.
The band are spending 2016 writing the follow-up to City of the Sun with the intent of a mid-2017 release date.
