OK...

I know these guys are quite talked about already and we all know how good they are but I wanted to start this thread so that we can really acknowledge these guys as true speed/thrash masters and have some thoughts on the demo they released in 2005.

It seems that every time I am searching through my iTunes list and wondering what music to play, I can always turn on some Heathen and be totally immersed in their incredibly well written and professional brand of metal.

Breaking The Silence:

Lee Altus: guitar
David Godfrey: vocals
Mike "Yaz" Jastremski: bass
Doug Piercy: guitar
Carl Sacco: drums

I love both albums, but their first one is probably my favorite overall. Breaking The Silence is a perfectly written speed/heavy/thrash album with excellent vocal lines and choruses. The guitar solos are unbelievable, the ones in Goblin's Blade are so incredible, they always shock me.

I love how the songs on this album really build to an exciting part that always blows you away, they flow so pristinely. Its also a really fun album too with plenty of sing along kind of parts. Of the two cover songs Heathen did I prefer the one on Breaking The Silence, Set Me Free, an excellent song for them to have done and one that shows their roots.

Victims Of Deception:

Line-up:
Dave White - Vocals
Lee Altus - Guitar
Doug Piercy - Guitar
Marc Biedermann - Bass
Darren Minter - Drums

Victims Of Deception goes a bit more technical, heavy and thrashy than the first but still maintains that melodic edge. This one has some great punch-break, stab things going on that really show how much they have progressed as musicians.

All the elements are in place here that were part of the first album, the great guitar and drums and the soaring vocals although it is a little more serious and loses some of the high energy fun of the first one. This comes across in the lyrics, they are really well written and well thought out but a title from the first album, 'Death By Hanging' when contrasted with a track from Victims Of Deception 'Opiate Of The Masses' shows the change from fun metal lyrics to actually having something to say. The instrumental on here is really top notch too and I always enjoy listening to it.

From the sounds of the 2005 demo it seems like Heathen should really get going and do an album, I'm sure it would be a modern classic based on the demo songs I have already heard. Also, most metal heads I meet seem to love Heathen so I'm sure support would be good for them.

Ok, feel free to do a 'best of' list, don't bother with a set amount of tracks to choose just pick your favorites. Also, please don't reply to this thread with "I like Heathen but so and so are better" I don't want to hear it so lets just have some positive feedback about this great band!

Death By Hanging
Goblin's Blade
Open The Grave
Breaking The Silence
Hypnotized
Opiate Of The Masses
Morbid Curiosity
Dying Season

Also, I would like to Hear what Metal Ian has to say about Heathen because I know he is a fan...

Go!

http://www.heathenmetal.com/

There's some cool Heathen-related stories from Glasgow: Keith from Amok having 16 pints around a Heathen gig and emerging from the darkness in his underpants (he still can't remember how he lost his trousers, T-Shirt, shoes signed by Nuclear Assault and Heathen, phone and wallet) shouting 'YASS! Dave White!' at Dave White, me puking whilst Lee Altus pointed and laughed at me and just the whole band crashing at Hyder's flat (sadly I still lived on the east coast at the time). I wish I'd been there because Lee allegedly dished the dirt on the whole Thrash scene, e.g. that James Hetfield had an alcohol problem and used to become a cunt at parties.

I've loved Heathen for years and was around at their old board before it got hacked. Perhaps hence the reason I'm a mod there, not that anything goes on there now. I was really gutted to hear that Terry was gone, he was such a cool guy. It's more of a shame that Lee has more than an albums' worth of songs floating around but is mucking around with Exodus. He is the biggest Exodus fan in the world so I guess I can't blame him.

Did I mention I've got Lee Altus' number on my phone?



We've called telling him to quit Exodus and do the new album a few times but he only uses it when he's abroad so he never answers.

Cool Ian! Those stories are fucking mad! I bet you guys had a blast! I managed to see them on that tour too, it was the first time I had heard them, I was really impressed, they sounded great!

The first album is crunch (that is the latest Atom buzzword I take it?) I remember hearing the first demo cos I'm that old.

that demo pisses over basically everything, they need to sort it

Fully support Heathen and Atom!

I'm a Big fan of Heathen
they are in my US thrash top list,

They have best riffs, solos, songwriting and vocals,
Their music is such a miracle

best of list:

death by hanging
goblins blade
open the grave
breaking the silence
Hypnotized
opiate of the masses
heathen's song
fear of the unknown
prisoners of fate
timeless cell of prophecy

actaully,
every single song from Victims of Deception are fucking best

and Yeah Atom you're right,
goblins blade is one of the best thrash song from 80'

I just checked out this band simply for the fact that everyone seems to be highly rating them...

I must say im impressed!

Good thread

Yeah Heathen are so good and do not nearly get enough praise on this board. Prob one of my most listened to thrash bands actually. The 2005 demo is so good i just hope Lee finds time to do an album but it looks like he is fully booked with exodus for a while. Dying Season is so good, was amazing live. Haha yeah it was so cool when Heathen stayed at my mates flat. As iain said I made a compete tit in front of the band by getting so pished and lost my clothes. I then turned up at the flat in my sexy y front to meet the band. Was quite embarrassing looking back but was a good laugh! Staying up till 5 am listening to Bonded By Blood, drinkin lager and hearing all the gossip from the Bay Area with Lee was fuckin unreal

I prob prefer breaking the silence but hypnotized is one of the best thrash songs ever. dave White is such a good singer

Bloodkrishna wrote:Fully support Heathen and Atom!

Thanks! Good to see people are responding to this thread now, Heathen deserve it!

Bloodkrishna wrote:Their music is such a miracle

Yes!

they are so shine

The Fourth Norseman wrote:they are so shine

Come on, a little more than that please!

But yes, they are shine.

Atom wrote:

The Fourth Norseman wrote:they are so shine

Come on, a little more than that please!

But yes, they are shine.

Heathen is one of the shinest

If a thrash metal head say that he don't like Heathen
he probably is a retard

Heathen are awesome! They were one of the earlier thrash bands I got into....

Really cool melodic edge and the production that Forbidden should have had on Forbidden Evil...Guitar solos are br00tal cool and always tasteful...no Kerry King dialup noises.

Therye all catchy as well

I remember getting an email quite a few years back from Heathen basically saying 'free metal', needless to say, I downloaded it all and it was so awesome!!!!

WOAH!!!! Opiate of the Masses just came on my Media Player, and it's on random! can it read my mind??

I love Heathen, truly the kings of 'melodic' thrash, guitarmony is one of the best intrumentals of all time!!!!

It raelly really is.
Breaking the s ilence is one of my favourites, but i say that about too many superb albums!