If you're not a metal fan, then you probably haven't heard of Heathen, but you probably have heard music just like their newest album The Evolution of Chaos.
The lyrics on the album are sometimes smart and sometimes overdone to the point of inducing eye-rolling. A lot of “dark” rhymes fill the vocals, like “Darkness has consumed your soul/now you curse the sky/agony and solitude like worms feed on your pride” from “Silent Nothingness”, which I guess is typical of the genre, but it doesn't really say anything we haven't all heard before either.
Then there's the anomaly that is “A Hero's Welcome”, which is the Toby Keith equivalent of a metal song. It's an ode to, I guess, America, and veterans in general, with the spoken interlude, “This song is dedicated to the fallen, wounded, and the scarred [...] may you all find peace apart from this living hell”. No disrespect intended here – I feel certain that someone in Heathen knows someone in the war, and we all appreciate their service – but what in the world is that song doing on this album? It has nothing to do with the style of the album at all.
The music is reminiscent of Metallica and other smatterings of metal and thrash bands (so much so that a friend walked through the room while I was listening to the album and asked why I was listening to Metallica), and it's done well, but not spectacularly. It's tight, and almost impressive, it's just not particularly new or exciting. The vocals, though lyrically not impressive, are done fairly well, with a mix of singing, screaming, and talking.
Basically, it's a thrash/metal album you'll enjoy if you enjoy the genre, but if not, it won't convert you or make you want to listen to it. It does its job, but nothing more.
Key Track: Arrows Of Agony
June 24, 2010
