Heathen – Evolution of Chaos

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The long, long overdue return of Heathen was highly anticipated in thrash World when it came about in 2001 as part of the Thrash of The Titans charity event in aid of Chuck Billy and Chuck Schuldiner, but all the reunion produced was the Recovered EP and some live shows. Finally they have recorded their first full album since 1991, and only their third overall. The whole album is an absolute frenzy of thrash metal guitar. Over an hour of sharp, technical riffs and blazing solos provided by original guitarist and current Exodus member Lee Altus and new member Kragen Lum presided over by David White’s trademark gruff vocals. Easily Heathen’s best album of their career the highlight is the eleven-minute epic No Stone Unturned, which goes through more riffs than most younger bands do in a whole album. Every track has the same thick guitar tone bands like Annihilator and Exodus have, as opposed to the thin, faux-aggressive one of the younger bands trying to re-create the 1980s Bay Area sound, and almost as importantly their songs are intelligent. Avoiding writing a whole album about drinking and killing, tracks like A Heroes Return, about war heroes, Red Tears Disgrace and Fade Away add genuine lyricism to the guitar assault. Evolution of Chaos is a simply fantastic record, and will be one of the best thrash albums of the year, along with Overkill’s new one.

Written by Andy Lye
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