David Halbe 
“Never A God” is a performance offering with some theatrical clips woven in. A woman finds herself alone in a world of fire and flame.
Thrash metal is one of the few genres of music that never seems to fade from the spotlight. Whether it’s a new group bursting into the scene or a group of veterans making a comeback, there’s always something new to behold.
Heathen is a great example of this. A thrash metal band from San Francisco, established back in 1984, the group has been considered a leader of the ‘Bay Area Thrash Metal Scene’ despite not achieving the same success as their peers.
Heathen’s style of thrash has always been abnormal of the genre and perhaps that’s why they never achieved the recognition of their counterparts. In my mind, thrash metal is about music as much as it is about rebellion. Heathen’s approach to this style has always been too adult oriented for my taste. An artistic style that overshadows the fiery heat and unbridled eruption that this style of music is known for. That’s not to say Heathen’s technical implementation ruins the compositions, it just seemingly takes the force out of the melody that makes thrash metal great.
Heathen has seemingly been on a role since 2020. They released their first album in ten years, Empire Of The Blind (2020). The release put Heathen back on my metal map.
Heathen followed this record up with their first live album ever, Bleed The World: Live (2025). A collection of live tracks from a 2023 tour.
Recently, the group just released a new song and music video. “Never A God” was just unveiled on February 3rd 2026 via Napalm Records. Fans are hopeful this is a sign that new material is in the works.
Believe it or not “Never A God” is actually a cover song of a 1990 demo of a now defunct thrash act from Oakland California named Laughing Dead.
I’m guessing Heathen knew about this band and song because their ex-bassist, Eric Wong, used to be a member of this group back in the early ‘90s.
“Never A God” is a performance offering with some theatrical clips woven in.
A woman finds herself alone in a world of fire and flame. The backdrop is dark and desolate.
Is it an apple she finds on the ground? Is this a biblical tale gone awry?
Based on the suffering she seems to endure; it appears the consumption of this fruit includes some dire consequences.
This is a slamming track and a great comeback effort for Heathen. If this is any indication of the direction of the new material, I’ll admit I am excited. Check out Heathen’s “Never A God” and enjoy some cosmic thrash metal. \m/
HEATHEN is:
- David White – Vocals
- Kragen Lum – Guitars
- Jason Mirza – Bass
- Kyle Edissi – Guitars
- Jason Bittner – Drums
