Bay Area Thrash Metal veterans Heathen have entered a new era, signing with Napalm Records. The band say a new album is currently in the works, and they are marking the partnership with fresh music for fans to dig into straight away.
Out now is a new single, Never A God, accompanied by an official music video. The track has an interesting history as it was originally the title cut from Laughing Dead’s first demo, recorded in the early 1990s with Heathen vocalist David White. Heathen have now re-recorded it in their own style, pulling an obscurity from the Bay Area scene into the spotlight.
“We’re very proud to announce that Heathen has officially signed with Napalm Records,” the band said, “joining forces with a team that shares our vision, our drive, and our passion for Metal music. This marks the beginning of a new chapter for the band. We’re fired up for what’s coming and can’t wait to complete work on the new Heathen album.”
“We are incredibly proud and excited to welcome the legendary Californian Thrash Metal band Heathen to the Napalm Records family,” Napalm Records Senior A&R Sebastian Muench said. Heathen are true icons of the genre, and working with them is an absolute honour. We strongly believe in this partnership and are thrilled to take the next chapter of Heathen’s legacy to new heights together.”
“We’re going to start this new partnership with Napalm Records off with a bang and give you something new to listen to while we continue to work on the new Heathen album,” the band said.
“With that in mind, we recorded a couple of classic Bay Area Thrash tracks originally written by other bands that we played with in the early 1990s. The demo collectors out there may have heard these songs before, but they’ll be new to most of you.”
The 2” Maxi Single Never A God Drops on 23 April 2026 via Napalm Records. Pre-orders are available from here.
Available formats include:
- Marbled Black Smoke – slipcase, B-side logo etching (Mailorder exclusive, limited to 200)
- Gold – slipcase, B-side logo etching (limited to 300)
Heathen Live 2026
Heathen hit the road supporting Coroner on the Dissonance Over The West North American tour, alongside festival appearances later in the year.
- 02/04/26 – Las Vegas, NV – The Usual Place
- 02/05/26 – San Diego, CA – Brick By Brick
- 02/06/26 – Los Angeles, CA – Whisky A Go Go
- 02/07/26 – Pomona, CA – The Glass House
- 02/09/26 – San Jose, CA – The Ritz
- 02/10/26 – Berkeley, CA – Cornerstone
- 02/12/26 – Portland, OR – Hawthorne Theatre
- 02/13/26 – Seattle, WA – El Corazon
- 02/14/26 – Vancouver, BC – Rickshaw Theatre
- 02/16/26 – Billings, MT – Pub Station
- 02/17/26 – Butte, MT – Covellite Theatre
- 02/18/26 – Salt Lake City, UT – Ace’s High Saloon
- 02/20/26 – Denver, CO – HQ
- 02/21/26 – Albuquerque, NM – Launchpad
- 02/22/26 – Mesa, AZ – Rosetta Room
Festivals
- 01-02/05/26 – Chicago, US – Legions Of Metal
- 13-15/08/26 – Moravsky Krumlov, CZ – Rock Castle Open Air
- 27-29/08/26 – Naestved, DK – Naestved Metal Fest
- 28-29/08/26 – Woerrstadt, DE – Neuborn Open Air Festival
Heathen Line-Up
David R. White (Vocals) – Kragen Lum (Guitars) – Kyle Edissi (Guitars) – Jason Mirza (Bass) – Blake Anderson (Drums)
With new label support and new material underway, Heathen are setting up what looks like a busy 2026 for Thrash Metal lifers.
