Heathen

For the past 36 years, venerated thrash metal outfit Heathen have abided by their never-say-die attitude. Formed in 1984 by guitarist Lee Altus in San Francisco’s Bay Area—home to Exodus, Metallica, Testament, and Death Angel—Heathen quickly separated themselves from the pack by expertly fusing David White’s (aka David Godfrey) distinctive vocals with a melody-driven and forward-thinking musical style. On the strength of their “Pray for Death” demo in 1986, the Californians signed a deal with Combat Records. In the spring of the following year, Heathen released their debut album, “Breaking the Silence,” to large-scale acclaim. The band’s brand of intelligent yet aggressive thrash appealed not only to the genre’s core demographic, but also metallers looking for brains behind the brawn. MTV’s Headbanger’s Ball latched on quickly, routinely playing the video for “Set Me Free,” a cover of the Sweet classic.