Heathen was a particularly excellent
thrash metal band from
San Francisco in the 1980's and early 90's, known for their high level of musical
skill. Much in the same manner as prime (circa
Master of Puppets) Metallica, they combined aggressive, grinding riffs with fast guitar solos and precisely played harmonies. Heathen's lyrics, particularly on the second album, were
skeptical and
defiant, not particularly eloquent but still far better than most metal lyrics of their era.
The band's membership changed continually; the most permanent lineup was
- Dave Godfrey - vocals
- Doug Piercy - guitars
- Lee Altus - guitars
- Mike Jastremski - bass
- Darren Minter - drums
Piercy in particular was an excellent player - you'll still occasionally hear his style imitated to this day.
They only recorded two albums, both of which are very out of print but have been recently reissued on CD by Century Media Records.
Discography:
Breaking the Silence - 1987, Combat Records
- Death by Hanging
- Goblin's Blade
- Open the Grave
- Pray for Death
- Set Me Free
- Breaking the Silence
- World's End
- Save the Skull
- Heathen
Victims of Deception - 1991, Roadrunner Records
- Hypnotized
- Opiate of the Masses
- Heathen's song
- Kill the King (cover of the Rainbow song)
- Fear of the Unknown
- Prisoners of Fate
- Morbid Curiosity
- Guitarmony
- Mercy Is No Virtue
- Timeless Cell of Prophecy