Heathen has always been one of my top three thrash metal bands. Their compositions are generally more clever than those of their peers without veering too far into prog territory, they aren’t afraid to use classic heavy metal melodies and as far as thrash metal singers go, David White is far above average. They just aren’t the most prolific band in the world. Part of that are the extracurricular activities. Guitarists Lee Altus and Kragen Lum have spent a lot of time touring with Exodus in recent years. Fortunately, ‘Empire Of The Blind’ proves why Heathen still deserves to exist in a big way.

One of the most prominent differences between ‘Empire Of The Blind’ and Heathen’s excellent 2010 comeback ‘The Evolution Of Chaos’ is the fact that Kragen Lum wrote all the songs this time around. It would be tempting to say that the music sounds like Prototype with David White singing and while that is not entirely untrue, as this is easily a darker, more modern version of Heathen, Lum clearly made a distinction between the two bands. ‘Empire Of The Blind’ is not quite as proggy as Prototype, while it was clearly important to Lum to put the guitar melodies front and center.

If there is one area in which Heathen improved greatly on ‘Empire Of The Blind’, it would be the mid-tempo material. While Heathen has yet to release a truly disappointing song, their uptempo material always appealed to me more. Some of the better moments on this albums are relatively subdued in tempo, such as the brooding majesty of the title track and the pulsating, almost Nevermore-ish aggression of ‘Devour’. ‘Shrine Of Apathy’ is one of the more unique tracks in Heathen’s discography, being a dark, almost doomy semi-ballad. Not quite as good as ‘Red Tears Of Disgrace’, but definitely characteristic.

Those craving something more uptempo will still get their fill with ‘Empire Of The Blind’ though. ‘Blood To Be Let’ is nice and furious, while ‘The Blight’ is an excellent choice for an opener, as it is energetic and closest to the ‘The Evolution Of Chaos’ in overall sound. At the other end of the album, ‘The Gods Divide’ is a ripping thrasher that can rival any modern Exodus track with a fantastic chorus and two incredible guitar solos to boot. Speaking of which, the instrumental ‘A Fine Red Mist’ deserves a special mention. Aside from Altus and Lum, there are three guest guitarists. The razor sharp aggression of Gary Holt, the looser runs of Rick Hunolt, Altus’ semi-neoclassical leads, Doug Piercy’s unconventional creativity and Lum’s melodic virtuosity are all instantly recognizable.

‘Empire Of The Blind’ came out slightly different than I expected, but somehow still is a typical Heathen album. The record is full of clever, unpredictable thrash metal songwriting, which is rare enough these days, and fantastic performances by all musicians involved. There is also a somewhat more contemporary edge to it than the decidedly old school ‘The Evolution Of Chaos’. It is less overtly melodic, but not without forsaking the melodies. Ten years is a long wait, but Heathen does not disappoint here. All I can do is hope they have at least one more great album in them.

Recommended tracks: ‘The Blight’, ‘The Gods Divide’, ‘Empire Of the Blind’, ‘Devour’