Credits:

Heathen

Description:

Heezen is one of the leading bands of the Bay Area thrash scene. Their journey has not been a smooth one. The band was formed in 1984. After a few years behind the first generation of Bay Area bands such as Exodus and Metallica, Heezen made their album debut with "Break the Silence" in 1987. The year after the release of "Master of Puppets" (1987), Testament and Death Angel also made their album debuts, and this was the year when Bay Area thrash was in full bloom. Heezen's debut album, produced by Ronnie Montrose and featuring a cover of Suite's "Set Me Free," was also a big hit. However, with Testament and Death Angel releasing albums one after the other, Heezen suffered the loss of vocalist, bassist, and drummer, and found themselves at a standstill. Eventually, vocalist David White returned to the band, and by the time they released their second album, "Victims of Deception," four years had passed since their album debut. By that time, thrash metal had already entered a slump. The band was also struck by the untimely death of bassist Randy Lehr, who joined the band after the release of the second album, in a car accident, and the band disbanded with a broken heart. In 2001, after nearly 10 years of silence, Heezen reunited with Chuck Billy and Chuck Schuldiner for a charity concert. Since then, Heezen has been performing live from time to time. In 2009, they released their third album, "The Evolution of Chaos," their first in 18 years, much to the delight of their longtime fans. In 2012, the band signed with Nuclear Blast Records. Since then, fans have been waiting for a new album, but Lee Altus, the leader of the band, has been busy with Exodus, replacing Rick Huenoldt. Time just flew by before they realized it. But now, at long last, their fourth album, "Empire of the Blind," has been released. It takes time to make a good wine. It takes time to make a good wine," says Lee, and the result, after 10 years of aging, is truly outstanding. As is evident from the fact that they covered Sweet on their debut album and Rainbow on their second album, their style is to emphasize melody while maintaining a thrashy side. Of course, this is no different in this album. Heezen's typical twin leads are scattered throughout the album, and David White's vocals properly sing the melodies. Heezen fans and Bay Area thrash fans alike are sure to go wild.Mixed and mastered by Christopher Harris, aka Zeus, known for his work with Overkill and Crowbar, it fits Heezen's sound perfectly. Guests include Gary Holt of Exodus, Rick Heunolt, formerly of Exodus, and Doug Piercy, formerly of Heezen.