Heathen – The Evolution of Chaos
released February 16, 2010 on Mascot Records
The best classic Bay Area thrash band you never heard is back, with their first album of original material in nineteen years. And not that they necessarily need it, but there are a slew of guest musicians with them to herald their return.
Jon Allen and Steve DiGiorgio kick things off with a Middle Eastern-inspired instrumental intro, whose melodies again surface in the following “Dying Season”, the album’s strongest track. Gary Holt of Exodus lends his talents to the trade-off solo within “Control By Chaos”. And Terry Lauderdale, who toured with Heathen across Europe in 2005, shreds in both “Arrows of Agony” and album closer “Silent Nothingness”.
David White’s vocal mutability is remarkable. He is often reminiscent of a grittier Bruce Dickinson (Iron Maiden), but even invokes Geoff Tate (Queensryche) during the hypnotic midsection of “Fade Away”. Though he may not possess the range of either, his timbre is true and helps the band bridge the gap between thrash and NWOBHM.
There are only a couple of songs on the album that didn’t quite jell, though both are impassioned, well-meaning statements. “No Stone Unturned” does just that, as an eleven-minute monster that fully runs the thrash gamut. The main riff is too close to Metallica‘s “Don’t Tread On Me”, and DiGorgio’s guest bass solo goes one step further to recall “Orion”. But even without nitpicking, it still feels like three separate songs that aren’t cohesive. “A Hero’s Welcome” is a sincere, sympathetic message to soldiers everywhere, but its heavy-handed nature (complete with spoken dedication) is a put-off.
Thanks to the excellent guitar work by veteran founder Lee Altus and newcomer Kragen Lum (Prototype), my complaints are kept to a minimum. There’s nary a boring moment on the album, and when combined with strong production and memorable artwork, you have a solid contender for one of the best metal releases of 2010.
FCC OK
Try 2, 3, 5, 6, 9, 11
01. Intro
02. Dying Season
03. Control By Chaos
04. No Stone Unturned
05. Arrows Of Agony
06. Fade Away
07. A Hero’s Welcome
08. Undone
09. Bloodkult
10. Red Tears Of Disgrace
11. Silent Nothingness
Rating: 
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