HEATHEN: "Breaking the Silence" LP
Combat 1987
USA
David (White) Godfrey - vocals
Lee Altus - guitars
Doug Piercy - guitars
Mike "Yaz" Jastremski - bass
Carl Sacco - drums

Death by Hanging
Goblins Blade
Open the Grave
Pray for Death
Set me Free
Breaking the Silence
World's End
Save the Skull
Heathen (CD-only)

Doug Piercy played by ANVIL CHORUS, EXODUS and LEGACY before founding HEATHEN together with Carl Sacco (ex-Metal Church), David Godfrey (ex-Blind Illusion) and bass-player Eric Wong (who soon was replaced by Mike Jastremski). In 1987 HEATHENs debut record was released, and there never was an album-title fitting any better: HEATHEN are "Breaking the Silence" like it was never broken before, they unleash a storm of fiery steel that blows aways all wimps and posers and takes fans of Melodic Speed/Thrash or hard Power Metal straight to the sky!! Hard, powerful but always very melodic, simply a perfect album that deserves 11 points out of 10. In my opinion this is the best Bay Area Thrash Metal album, nothing less!!
Every track is a killer, the thrashy >Save the Skull<, the furious >Pray for Death<, >World's End< with it's accoustic begin that turns into a Speed Metal mayhem with a chorus that burns a mark into your brain, the title track itself and above all >Gobins Blade<, that is one of the ten best metal-tracks ever: Galloping fast hypnotic Speed Metal with a melody that will haunt you in your dreams, fantasy lyrics that inherent a power and force not easy to describe: You will know what I mean when you hear David Godfrey sing the magical tunes
"Walking the path of no return - lurks the evil that within
Shattered dreams of many men - who tried to cross the bridge of sin
I am the one who lives to tell the tale - of the mystical demon that once impaled
the murders of many brought fear to the land - this mystical menace I will slay in the end..."
Well, to know if he can complete his task you just need to buy the record. You will be richly rewarded with some of the best metal that ever has been forged in the fires of pure emotional music on this dirty planet... This album was not a megaseller and that is a SHAME. I guess everyone reading this owns the album, otherwise you now have a record that deserved the FIRST place on your wants-list, no matter what other stuff is written on it so far.
In 1986 before "Breaking the Silence" HEATHEN released the fantastic demo-tape "Pray for Death". Featuring the tracks >Pray for Death<, >Goblins Blade<, >Open the Grave<, >Heathen< (which also is the Bonus-track of "Breaking..." CD), >Deaf in the Silence< (first version of later title-track) and >World's End<.
Their second and goddamned last record is from 1991, entitled "Victims of Deception". Nearly as great as their debut and also a must to have, of course! It has a better sound, over-the-top tracks as the riff-massacre >Opiate for the Masses<, the chilling Speed version of RAINBOWS "Kill the King" (better than LIEGE LORDs version, better than COMMANDERs version, and even better than the original believe it or not...), the varied Power Metal track >Prisoners of Fate< with it's slow balladesque beginning or the highlight itself >Timeless cell of Prophecy< (essential CD-only-bonustrack and best song on the album!). Bay Area thrash Metal never sounded better, but the album will also please Speed and even Power Metal fans because of the melodic vocals!
There has been some line-up changes in the time HEATHEN existed that I am tired to mention.
The end for HEATHEN has come in 1992 when Lee Altus and Darren Minter (drums, since 1987) left the band to join the horrible electro-metal band DIE KRUPPS. Before that an EP with cover-verions has been recorded and anounced but was never released due to the split.
But there's no need to sigh about the end of another legendary band. Two metallic monuments remain and will never be forgotten!! All hail, HEATHEN, true emperors of the Bay Area Metal!!! You will live forever in our hearts...