Category:
Metal

Try if you like:
Anthrax, Corrosion Of Conformity, Metallica

An overlooked gem from the early days of thrash metal, Heathen's Victims of Deception sounds dated today only in so far as is early Metallica. You can tell it was from the 80’s, but you can also tell it was new and inspired; the thrill of both letting it rip and feeling the buzz of a new way to let it rip are evident. While this sounds dated today, esp. the keyboards and the occasional operatic vocal from David White-Godfrey, it is a fun listen.

 

As thrash has gotten more self-conscious and formulaic, leaving metal’s fun and danger to the sludge bands, songs like “Morbid Curiosity,” “Timeless Cell of Prophecy” or their cover of Rainbow’s “Kill The King” may seem groan-worthy at first, but give them a second spin. The guitars are buzzsaw sharp, and the grooves are harsh and relentless. The bass has a big fat bottom and, if stripped of the excesses of the decade in which they were produced, would hold their own with most metal being released today. But ha-ha, Heathen were there right from the beginning.