San Francisco Bay Area thrash veterans Heathen are continuing their run of deep cuts and archival rediscoveries with a new release tied to their recent signing with Napalm Records. The latest single, “Twist Of Faith”, reaches back to an earlier project and brings it into the band’s current sound.
Originally released in 1992 by Psychosis on the album Lifeforce, the track featured Heathen members Kragen Lum and Jason Mirza. In its updated form, it has been reworked and “HEATHEN-ized,” turning a lesser-known cut from the early ’90s into something aimed at both longtime followers and modern thrash listeners.
Heathen commented on the release: “Let’s keep things rolling with new music for 2026! “Twist Of Faith” is another early 1990s-era song that we gave the Heathen treatment. Demo collectors may have heard the original Psychosis recording of the song (with Kragen Lum on guitar and Jason Mirza on bass), but we’ve added some new elements and taken it to the next level!
“We have another 15 songs in various stages of production right now so enjoy the “Never A God” 12″ maxi single with “Twist Of Faith” and get ready for the new album (and more).”
The band has also released an official video for “Twist Of Faith”, continuing their recent push of revisiting and reshaping material from different points in their history.
Formed in 1984, Heathen came out of the same San Francisco scene that helped define Bay Area thrash. Early records like Breaking The Silence (1987) and Victims Of Deception (1991) remain key releases in West Coast metal. After a period of inactivity, the band returned in 2001 and has continued to evolve since.
Earlier this year, Heathen marked their deal with Napalm Records by releasing another deep-cut reinterpretation, “Never A God”, originally tied to Laughing Dead, a project featuring vocalist David White in the early 1990s.
Alongside bands like Exodus, Testament, Forbidden, Death Angel, and Vio-Lence, Heathen are often recognized as part of the core wave of Bay Area thrash. Despite lineup changes over the decades, the current foundation remains David White on vocals and Kragen Lum on guitar, with Lum also stepping in for Gary Holt in Exodus during periods when Holt has toured with Slayer.
