Heathen (band)

Heathen
Company type	Private
Industry	Music
Founded	1984
Founder	Lee Altus, Carl Sacco
Headquarters	San Francisco Bay Area, United States
Area served	Worldwide
Key people	Lee Altus (guitarist and continuous member)
Products	Music albums

Heathen is a thrash metal group originating from the San Francisco Bay Area in the United States, active initially between 1984 and 1993 and resuming activity from 2001 to the present. Although they never achieved notable commercial success, they are acknowledged—alongside bands like Exodus, Testament, Forbidden, Death Angel, and Vio-lence—as influential contributors to the Bay Area thrash metal movement during the mid to late 1980s. The band has undergone various lineup transformations, with guitarist Lee Altus remaining the only continuous member. To date, Heathen has produced four studio albums: Breaking the Silence (1987), Victims of Deception (1991), The Evolution of Chaos (2009), and Empire of the Blind (2020).

Formation and early years (1984–1987)

Heathen was established in 1984 by guitarist Lee Altus along with drummer Carl Sacco, formerly of Metal Church. The original lineup also featured vocalist Sam Kress and guitarist Jim Sanguinetti, who later founded Mordred. After their debut performance in 1985, both Kress and Sanguinetti exited, making way for vocalist David White (previously with Blind Illusion) and guitarist Doug Piercy (ex-members of Anvil Chorus and Control). Bassist Eric Wong joined shortly thereafter, finalizing a lineup that debuted in early 1986 and quickly gained traction within the Bay Area scene. Their sound fused thrash metal intensity with vocal styles inspired by NWOBHM, incorporating acoustic passages alongside rapid melodic guitar solos.

Heathen's significant breakthrough arrived with their Pray For Death demo, which resulted in a contract with Combat Records in 1987. Soon after signing, Eric Wong departed to join Piranha; he was succeeded by Mike "Yaz" Jastremski, formerly of Griffin, on bass.

Breaking the Silence era (1987–1990)

The band's inaugural album, Breaking the Silence, launched in 1987 to favorable critical reception. It included a prominent single—a rendition of "Set Me Free" originally by 1970s glam rock band Sweet—which garnered airplay on rock radio stations and appeared on MTV's Headbangers Ball. To promote the release, Heathen toured alongside notable groups such as Megadeth, King Diamond, Testament, and Exodus.

In 1988, drummer Carl Sacco parted ways with the band due to creative disagreements and was replaced by Darren Minter. That year also saw bassist Mike Jastremski leave, prompting several lineup adjustments through 1991. Vocalist David White exited in 1989 for personal and artistic reasons; during this interval, former Exodus frontman Paul Baloff briefly assumed vocal duties. The band also toured with late Metal Church singer David Wayne. Rick Weaver joined from The Dispossessed late in 1988 but departed in 1989 over creative conflicts, leading to White’s return.

Victims of Deception period and hiatus (1991–1993)

For their sophomore album Victims of Deception released in 1991 via Roadrunner Records, Heathen recruited Marc Biedermann of Blind Illusion as a session bassist. This album marked a progression toward a more intricate thrash metal style featuring complex riffs, unconventional time signatures, and extended tracks, moving away from earlier NWOBHM influences. Although critically praised, it did not replicate the commercial performance of its predecessor. Singles included a cover of Rainbow's "Kill the King" and the ballad "Prisoners of Fate," both attaining modest rock radio exposure. The group embarked on European tours alongside bands such as Sepultura and Sacred Reich.

That same year, Heathen appointed Randy Laire as their full-time bassist and toured extensively until tragedy struck when Laire and his girlfriend were killed in a car accident. Jason VieBrooks took over bass duties following this loss. In 1992, guitarist Doug Piercy left the band and was replaced by Ira Black. Plans for a covers EP dedicated to Laire, his girlfriend, and David White’s late brother were ultimately abandoned when Heathen entered an indefinite hiatus in 1993.

Reunion (2001–2008)

In 2001, Heathen came back together with members David White, Lee Altus, Ira Black, Mike Jastremski, and Darren Minter to perform at the Thrash of the Titans benefit concert, which aimed to support cancer treatments for Chuck Billy and Chuck Schuldiner. After the event’s success, Jastremski left the group in 2004 and was succeeded by Jon Torres. The band then released Recovered on Relentless Metal Records, a compilation featuring demos from the Victims of Deception period as well as newly recorded cover tracks. In August 2005, they followed up with a demo containing three fresh songs.

That same year, guitarist Terry Lauderdale joined Heathen as they embarked on a European tour. While continuing with Heathen, Lee Altus also became a member of the Bay Area thrash outfit Exodus. In November 2007, Prototype guitarist Kragen Lum and Mark Hernandez replaced Darren Minter and Lauderdale respectively; Minter rejoined the band in 2008.

The Evolution of Chaos (2009–2018)

Heathen unveiled their first studio album in almost twenty years, The Evolution of Chaos, releasing it through King Records in Japan in December 2009, followed by Mascot Records in Europe in January 2010 and the United States in February 2010.

During 2009, the band appeared at Germany’s Rock Hard Festival and supported Testament, Exodus, and Kreator at the Thrash Domination event in Kawasaki, Japan. After postponing shows initially scheduled for March, they toured during April and May 2010 to promote the new album. In 2012, Heathen signed a deal with Nuclear Blast Records for upcoming releases. Drummer Darren Minter exited the band in 2013 and was replaced by Jon Dette for their European tour.

In 2011, Heathen took part in the European Thrashfest Classics tour alongside Sepultura, Exodus, Destruction, and Mortal Sin, culminating in a final show in Vienna on December 18.

Empire of the Blind (2019–present)

On January 16, 2019, Heathen announced via Facebook that work had commenced on their fourth studio album. The album’s title, Empire of the Blind, along with its cover art was revealed on February 26, 2020 during the European Bay Strikes Back tour featuring Testament, Exodus, and Death Angel. The lead single "The Blight" was released on June 26, 2020; initially, the full album was slated for release on September 18.

The COVID-19 pandemic prevented Heathen from touring to support Empire of the Blind for nearly two years. They resumed live performances across Europe in June 2022 alongside Toxik and subsequently joined Testament’s summer tour for Titans of Creation, sharing the stage with Exodus and Death Angel. In April 2023, Heathen toured Europe with Overkill and Exhorder before continuing that lineup on a U.S. tour in July. They were scheduled to open for Metal Church during the Canadian leg of the Congregation of Annihilation tour in March 2024; however, this tour was cancelled due to health complications involving Metal Church’s guitarist.

Before releasing Empire of the Blind, guitarist Kragen Lum mentioned intentions to begin work on a fifth album by 2021 if touring activities remained restricted. In May 2024, Heathen announced plans to release their next album in 2025. Recording sessions started in June 2025 with producer Zeuss—who also produced Empire of the Blind—and featured drum contributions from Jason Bittner (known for Shadows Fall and formerly Overkill).

Heathen issued their first live album titled Bleed the World: Live, recorded during their U.S. tour in 2023, which was released on March 14, 2025.

Members

Present lineup

Lee Altus – guitar (1984–1993, 2001–present)
David White – lead vocals (1985–1988, 1989–1993, 2001–present)
Kragen Lum – guitar, backing vocals (2007–present)
Jason Mirza – bass guitar (2018–present)
Kyle Edissi – guitar (2023–present)
Ryan Idris – drums (2023–present)

Studio albums

Compilation albums

Recovered (2004)

Live albums

Bleed the World: Live (2025)