1) Heathen is a North America… Read Full Bio ↴More than one artist shares this name.
1) Heathen is a North American thrash metal band originating from the Bay Area California, founded in 1984 by guitarist Lee Altus and drummer Carl Sacco. They have released two critically acclaimed albums, "Breaking the Silence" (1987) and "Victims of Deception" (1991).
First Era (1984-1992)
Heathen was formed in 1984 by two friends, guitarist Lee Altus (who was a native of Ukraine (U.S.S.R. then)) and drummer Carl Sacco (formerly of Metal Church). The pair later recruited lead vocalist Sam Kress and second guitarist Jim Sanguinetti. The band did not have a bass player in their early years, and this would carry on later when the band had notorious amounts of trouble finding a permanent bass player. This first lineup only played one gig in 1985.
Shortly after this first gig Sam Kress and Jim Sanguinetti (the later of which went on to form the funk-thrash combo Mordred) left the group and were replaced by new vocalist David Godfrey (formerly of Blind Illusion) and new guitarist Doug Piercy (formerly of Anvil Chorus and Control). The bands also recruited their first bassist, Eric Wong around the same time. This lineup debuted in early 1986.
Now finally with a stable lineup, the band played many shows around the Bay Area and gained notoriety as an excellent act, their early style largely combined the aggression of thrash metal with the sophistication and melodic vocal style of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal movement. The band was not influenced by punk rock the way many of their peers at the time were, and as a result were more attractive to "true" metalheads and were arguably ahead of their time in that they were much more consciously "metal" than other thrash bands of the time who simply combined NWOBHM and hardcore. Other bands would not come to this stage of development until years later if ever at all.
Heathen's "big break" came when they released the Pray For Death demo, recorded at Doug Piercy's studio. The demos popularity (in addition to the great interest in the thrash metal scene at the time) paid off in 1987 when they got a deal with Combat Records. Shortly after their signing Eric Wong left the band to join Paul Baloff's new project Pirhana (he ended up playing bass on Pirhana's only known recording). Former Griffin guitarist Mike "Yaz" Jastremski came in on bass.
Heathen's debut album Breaking the Silence was released in 1987. The album quickly became a thrash classic. It was very well received critically, who pointed out the album was unique for, as explained early, it's meld of the already existing thrash metal energy and NWOBHM singing and song structures. The album featured one very successful single, a cover of the 1970s glam rock band Sweet's song "Set Me Free". The song got some rock radio airplay and the video received heavy rotation on MTV's Headbanger's Ball. The band embarked on a tour in support of the album.
Following the tour however the bands lineup began to implode. In 1988 Carl Sacco left due to musical differences (apparently Sacco had become more interested in jazz). He was replaced by Darren Minter. Mike Jastremski left the band shortly after this, and the band went through a wide variety of bassist between 1988 and 1991 including one time Blind Illusion bassist Vern McEloy. In 1989 David Godfrey left the band due to personal differences and musical differences (many fans complained that they would prefer Heathen if they had a more aggressive, "thrash" singer). For few months late ex-Exodus vocalist Paul Baloff became the bands vocalist. His tenure only lasted a few weeks before the band realized he wasn't right for their style. They also briefly recruited late Metal Church vocalist David Wayne.
Fortunately in 1990, Godfrey (now using the last name David White, the name of his true father as opposed to his stepfather) returned to Heathen. The band continued to have problem with bass players. Out of desperation they recruited Blind Illusion mainman Marc Biedermann to go into the studio with the band to play bass on their upcoming album.
That album was Victims of Deception, released in 1991 through Roadrunner Records. Victims... was not a dramatic departure from the style of Breaking The Silence as one might expect due to the 4 year gap between album release time. However the album was considerably more technical, featuring odd time signatures, more complex riffs and songs, tempo and key changes and longer song lengths. The album is often tagged as "progressive thrash metal", (arguably started in 1988 by Metallica's ...And Justice for All with its densly packed 65 mins. of music in just 9 tracks) similar to many other thrash albums that came out around this time. Like its predecessor, Victims of Deception was also critically acclaimed. It was not quite as commercially successful as Breaking The Silence' but still sold well and featured a cover of Rainbow's "Kill the King" as well as original ballad "Prisoners of Fate" being released as singles. Both garnered up minor rock radio airplay.
That year the band finally found a permanent bassist in Randy Laire. With this stable lineup the band embarked on the tour and all ran quite well until the untimely death of Laire and his girlfriend in a car accident. The band replaced him with Jason Viebrooks. Doug Piercy departed from the band in 1992 and was replaced by Ira Black. The band planned to record a covers EP dedicated to Laire and his girlfriend as well as White's deceased brother Jeffery. But the band came to a status of a hiatus in 1992.
The Return
In 2001, Heathen regrouped with David White, Lee Altus, Ira Black, Mike Jastremski and Darren Minter, to play the Thrash of the Titans concert to help Chuck Billy (testament) and Chuck Schuldiner (Death) raise funds for Billy's throat cancer treatment and Schuldiner's brain cancer treatment.
The concert was a huge success and in 2004, but Mike "Yaz" Jastremski left the band again, been replaced by the Ulysses Syrens bassist Jon Torres releasing a full-length album, the title of which is Recovered, which consists of re-recorded old material and cover songs. A new demo was released in August 2005, which contains three new songs.
In 2005, the band recruited Terry Lauderdale to be the second guitarist and played to packed houses and festivals across England, Scotland, Germany, France, the Netherlands and Belgium. Also in 2005, Lee Altus joined bay area thrash pioneers Exodus, replacing long time guitarist Rick Hunolt in the band. Lee has since recorded two albums with Exodus, Shovel Headed Kill Machine in 2005 and The Atrocity Exhibition... Exhibit A in 2007. Though in a new band that he has devoted himself to, Lee said that his time with Exodus has not and will not affect his performance and status with Heathen.
Heathen played a benifit at Annie's in 2007 the lineup for this was David White, Lee Altus, and Jon Torres along with old members Doug Piercy and Carl Sacco.
In early November 2007, David White put to rest the rumors of a Sacco/Piecy reunion, with the addition of new musicians. The band recruited Prototype guitarist Kragen Lum and well known thrash drummer Mark Hernandez as their replacements. This lineup played some shows throughout 2008 with Hernandez exiting the band and Darren Minter returning to the band. Heathen signed a record deal with Mascot Records in late 2007 and began writing and recording their comeback album "The Evolution Of Chaos", released on King Records in Japan December 2009, Mascot Records Europe January 25, 2010, and the US February 14, 2010.
2) Heathen is / was a Hardcore band from Richmond, VA in the USA.
*They have since pluralised their name to 'Heathens'.
Their line-up contains members from the bands Bracewar and Cast Aside.
They have so far released a demo, and a self-titled 7” (under Heathen) and a full length album, 'High Stakes' (under the new name) on the Thrashed! Records label.
LIne-up:
Andrew - Vocals
Hunter - Guitar
Alex - Bass
Greg - Drums
Info:
www.myspace.com/heathenhate
www.facebook.com/pages/Heathens/246544509193
The Blight
Heathen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And gagged with fear
Held ransom by desire
Corruption, sin
So crystal clear
Deceit for all conspired
Reward the fools and liars
We’re dead inside
Infect us, feed on our appetite
To bleed the world
In the machine
The churning gears
Death factory’s burning fire
Spread of decay
This rotting sphere
Lifeforce for all expires
Construct the funeral pyre
Angel of disease
We’re dead inside
Infect us, feed on our appetite
To bleed the
Angel of disease
We’re dead inside
Protect us, help breed this parasite
To bleed the world
Dead - DEAD
We are destruction, we’re dead inside
Dead - DEAD
We are devoid of life
Dead - DEAD
We are infection, we’re dead inside
Dead - DEAD
We are the parasite
Unleash the plague inside us
Unleash
Solo: Kragen
Solo: Lee
Solo: Kragen
Dead - DEAD
We are destruction, we’re dead inside
Dead - DEAD
We are devoid of life
Dead - DEAD
We are infectious, we’re dead inside
Dead - DEAD
We are the parasite
We are the blight
Solo: Kragen
Angel of disease
We’re dead inside
Infect us, feed on our appetite
To bleed the
Angel of disease
We’re dead inside
Protect us, help breed this parasite
To bleed the world
This bleeding world
The lyrics of the song "The Blight" by Heathen contain a narrative that discusses the corrupt nature of humans and the inevitable decay and destruction that follows. The first two lines of the song "We're bound by truth and gagged with fear" suggest that although individuals have a grasp of what truth is, the fear of its consequences, as well as the desire for material possessions and power, holds them captive, ultimately leading to their downfall. The following lines "Reward the fools and liars/Angel of disease/We're dead inside" indicate that those who are deceptive and engage in corrupt activities are ultimately rewarded, and that they have become so dead inside that even a disease can't harm them any longer, implying that they have lost touch with the consequences of their actions. Moreover, the lines "Infect us, feed on our appetite/To bleed the world" suggests that the corrupt nature of some people has the power to infect and influence others, ultimately leading to the destruction of the world.
The second stanza of the song is an extension of the first, indicating that the situation has become so bad that human society has become like a machine that churns death and destruction, with a spread of decay and a rotting sphere, causing even the life force to expire. "Construct the funeral pyre/Angel of disease/We’re dead inside" suggests that the fate of the world has been fixed, and there is no escaping it. The final stanza, "Unleash the plague inside us," implies that those who have become corrupt have the power to cause destruction, not just to themselves but to society as a whole.
Line by Line Meaning
We’re bound by truth
We are unyielding in our commitment to truth.
And gagged with fear
Our fear has silenced us.
Held ransom by desire
Our desires have taken control of us, and we are powerless to resist them.
Corruption, sin
Our society is overrun with corruption and evil.
So crystal clear
The truth of our situation is obvious and undeniable.
Deceit for all conspired
Everyone is complicit in the deception and lies that surround us.
Reward the fools and liars
Those who deceive us and act foolishly are being rewarded.
Angel of disease
A metaphor for the forces of evil that prey on us.
We’re dead inside
We are spiritually and emotionally numb.
Infect us, feed on our appetite
We are so deadened that we crave the very things that are killing us.
To bleed the world
Our collective suffering is causing the world to suffer as well.
In the machine
We are a part of a vast, impersonal system that is destroying us.
The churning gears
The gears of the machine are always turning, grinding us down.
Death factory’s burning fire
The machine is like a death factory, fueled by our suffering and pain.
Spread of decay
The decay and rot is spreading, infecting everything.
This rotting sphere
The world is sick and dying, and we are a part of it.
Lifeforce for all expires
Our life force is being drained away, leaving us weak and vulnerable.
Construct the funeral pyre
Our destruction is inevitable, and we should prepare for it.
We are devoid of life
Our lives have lost all meaning and purpose.
We are infection, we’re dead inside
We are like a disease, infecting everything we come into contact with.
We are the parasite
We are feeding on the world, draining it of its resources without giving anything back.
Unleash the plague inside us
We are like carriers of a deadly disease.
We are the blight
We are the source of the world's sickness and suffering.
Protect us, help breed this parasite
We are so enslaved by our desires that we are begging for the forces of evil to help us achieve our goals.
This bleeding world
The world is suffering, bleeding and dying.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Kragen Lum
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
devil
Killer riffs, killer tone, great lyrics, awesome logo. What's not to like about this band?
Populist gen x'er channel
The message is spot on too! The machine!
sgredsch
not enough albums
Gerardo Nieves
Can’t wait for their next album releasing in 2077!
AlucardsQuest
Music and lyrics by the new drummer.
lubbocktx35
lmao yea bro I mean only 4 albums since 1984 damn too bad because they kick ass
Tommy Shark
LMFAO Hahahahaha
Probably during Covid - 666 Pandemic
Gerardo Nieves
Kawliga If we survive the COVID apocalypse we will have both, the Game and new Heathen album. That’s our reward.
Elijah Grattan
I want cyberpunk so bad :(
Diego Borges
That's exactly the kind of thrash metal I love.