Heathen is an American thrash metal band from the San Francisco Bay Area, founded in 1984. Alongside Exodus, Testament and Death Angel, they are widely regarded as one of the leading acts of the Bay Area thrash scene, with their first two albums Breaking the Silence (1987) and Victims of Deception (1991) considered genre classics. After a lengthy hiatus the band reformed in 2001, releasing The Evolution of Chaos (2010) and Empire of the Blind (2020), and has since toured extensively across Europe and North America.
Heathen released the maxi-single 'Never A God' on April 23, 2026 via Napalm Records, their first release with the new label.
Heathen signed a contract with Napalm Records in February 2026 and announced they were working on a new studio album.
Heathen toured in February 2026 as support for Coroner on the 'Dissonance Over the West' tour through North America.
Heathen released the live album Bleed the World: Live on March 14, 2025 via Nuclear Blast Records, recorded during the band's American Bleed the World tour in 2023.
Heathen played in Finland for the first time in the summer of 2024 and also performed in Dubai and Bahrain - entirely new territory for the band.
