Albums

Album Review : Heathen Empire Of The Blind

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Posted on 12th October 2020

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Review by Jordonna Lobese for MPM

In early 2019 they started working on the album and joined forces with the world’s biggest heavy metal label, Nuclear Blast Records, who also represent such metal powerhouse bands as Accept, Exodus, and Fifth Angel.

Jason Mirza (bass) and Jim DeMaria (drums) are newbies, yet rise to the occasion. It’s a perfect union.

Holy Shit! ‘The God’s Divide’ is brilliant. Lee Altus, Heathen’s co-founder and one constant member, is a badass on the guitar and, like whisky, has gotten better with age.

He should be primed and ready, especially after playing on all four of their LP’s. And David White, who has also performed vocals on all four albums, demonstrates his brutal operatic tenor, especially on ‘Shrine of Apathy’.

The intro to ‘Shrine of Apathy’ is emotionally intriguing and engaging as it opens up into a vocal wonderland. Jason Mirza’s bass and Jim DeMaria’s drums connect and lock into each others’ playing styles throughout the entire album, especially on This Rotting Sphere.

Another song that showcases Kragen Lum’s ultimate guitar thrashing, better than a tongue lashing, is ‘Blood To Be Let’.

“Your sweet relief is found in agony,” is right. The heavy dueling guitarwork makes this album.

For those diehard thrash metal fans, Empire of the Blind offers a mixture of cutthroat big riffs, loud choruses, and fast gallops.

Heathen doesn’t rewrite the rules with Empire of the Blind, and they don’t fear change and expect things to stay as they are. Instead, they stay in their lane but progress into a better version of themselves.