Heathen
Breaking The Silence

THE REVIEW

An underrated American Thrash Metal band that originated in San Francisco in 1984 and quickly released their first self-produced demo tape in 1986, allowing the band, plagued by ongoing lineup changes, to join the metal scene of the Frisco Bay Area. More than a band, we find ourselves facing a growing thrash scene's family tree, a hotel where revolving doors heat up with the transit of various members and affiliates; two albums in nearly ten years of life, along with the participation of Paul Baloff (ex-Exodus) in the demo pre-"Victims Of Deception", place the band in the annals of Thrash.

The original singer Sam Kress (R.I.P.) hands the mic to the talented David White – Godfrey (ex-Blind Illusion) and bassist Eric Wong (future Unjust), after playing on the demo "Pray For Death," moves aside for Mike "Yaz" Jastremsky (R.I.P.). The full crew included drummer Carl Sacco (ex-Metal Church) and the two axes Lee Altus-Doug Piercy. In May 1987, they released this debut album "Breaking The Silence," produced by guitarist Ronnie Montrose, characterized by a dark yet striking cover: the head of a poor fellow about to shimmer among ominous skyscrapers. Perhaps "Too Much Information" is crossing his brain, as The Police would say, or perhaps it's Heathen breaking the silence, authors of a debut work with both light and shadow, underscored by a decent yet also ambiguous production, tied to the thrash's stylistic features (with a scratchy and compressed sound like a snowball) but also infected by classic Heavy Metal. Heathen have a liking for both Metal Church and the Bay area sound of Exodus. In fact, maybe they play Speed Metal and I just didn't notice: labels sometimes explain everything and sometimes explain nothing. The drums have a full sound, a fast yet also deceitful pace: Carl Sacco is a steamroller but lacks imagination, relegating between the spirit world the double-kick flares of Lombardo-Benante;the guitar phrases feel pressed, fermented like grapes in vats, but aren't properly squeezed as happens in albums of contemporary bands: probably Ronnie Montrose, a respectable musician, finds himself in a context not congenial to him to guide a debuting band in the 1987 thrash wave.

The opening track "Death By Hanging" tears the veil on the musical coordinates of the group: rising riffs, military march drumming, and a sprinkle of melody surfacing here and there, all overshadowed by David's high voice (influenced by Bruce Dickinson and tracing Joey Belladonna), marking indelibly all the album tracks; the scaffolded, rogue lyrics stand out, signed by Ed Bull (former singer of Control, Doug Piercy's band in 1980): the track, lifted from a demo tape, is the dowry Doug keeps from the old band. In "Goblin Blade", the lyrics are more allegorical and fantastic:

"Walking along the path of no return/evil creeps living underground/haunting the dreams of the many men who dared to cross the bridge of sin/I am the one who lives to tell the story of the ancient impaler demon/the killer of many who brought terror to the land/the mythical threat, eventually I will kill it/The Goblin sits under the rocks/waiting in the shadow when the bridge is blocked/but as men try to force the barricades/they will witness the Goblin's blade..."

The name, not the story, recalls Spider-Man's enemy who inflicted damage while traveling on the glider. Fantasy and savoir-faire: the epic introduction culminates in the album's most beautiful refrain, to whistle or continually sing. After these appetizing fruits, we discover that the musicians are excellent but fail to organize their viciousness, do not structure that tap dance of sonic violence that elevates the tracks to thrash evergreen status like "Angel Of Death" or "Battery" or "Infinite". The flame revives with the cover "Set Them Free" by Sweet, the '70s hard rockers, cleverly chosen as a single, a shaky launching pad for the album chosen by rummaging through others' sack of flour. The other well-wrought piece, dense with funeral pathos, is the lengthy "Open The Grave", with notable tempo changes and a dark yet socially critical text; the intro was later cloned by Defiance in 1989. Let's also not forget the song "Save The Skull," with splatter and barbaric lyrics, which closes the album decisively. "Pray For Death" stands out for its pessimistic and ever-relevant lyrics, curated by David:

"Conquering the ages with their endless schemes/trading the future of tomorrow's men/ultra technology at our awakening who will make the last mistake?/ Billions are spent on our defense/ to protect our freedom on material welfare/ If we want to survive, we must stay united/ divide the wealth to feed everyone/ The future is blind in the eyes of politicians /They are annihilating us with their nuclear aims/ when they see the light it will be too late/ they fill our heads with lies about the economy/ they refuse to listen to the people's cries/ The only choice left is to pray for death to come/ The government builds killing machines/ uses our money against our will/ when they build a tool of peace then the future will be simpler/what about the churches and their wealth? is there a hidden treasure under their bells/ are those solid gold temples a symbol of divinity? /This orgy of wealth is a disgusting vision/ Organized religion is deaf, mute, and blind/ they think they see through God's eyes /it will be too late when they finally see the light/ if the Pope sold his silk clothes, he could provide milk to the hungry/ leaving no reason to pray for death to come"

The torch of speed stays well lit, even in "World End", introduced by a rustic arpeggio and David's voice, then taking off at a gallop as in the title track, with a warlike beginning, where they return to beating the skins greatly but without a miracle. Imagine how the pieces would be if Rob Beaton were behind the console and Darren Minter on the drums: a whole different story. It was also reissued with the addition of the track "Heathen" and the 1986 demo "Pray For Death". Heathen is part of the American conestoga of bands traveling to the promised thrash land, but before them arrive the major bands Metallica, Anthrax, Slayer, Exodus who churn out their masterpieces and also in circulation we find Metal Church with "The Dark" and Sanctuary with "Refuge Denied." A fierce competition sees Heathen succumb: they lack the right producer, a record label willing to invest, musicians willing to be patient. Time passes inexorably, and our heroes will miss the train to success.

However, "Breaking The Silence" sells 100,000 copies worldwide (www.artistsandbands.org/intervista with Darren Minter) and, although it's a pleasant work, it remains a small luxury heavy/thrash corvette that sails the Pacific Ocean to reach the Bay Area loaded with insights in its hold. With the late follow-up "Victims Of Deception" (1991), Heathen will achieve the reflections of the debut with imagination, inventiveness, and style, turning into a Thrash battleship stranded in the Bay Area. A true shame. Four stars for the talent of the Godfrey-Altus-Piercy trio.