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Phone interview with Lee Altus of Heathen and Exodus

February 25th 2010, Los Angeles CA

Andrew: Talk a little bit about your latest album 'The Evolution Of Chaos'. First original album after such a long time!
Lee: Well, the band has been broken up since 1992. Then we reformed in 2001-02 for a couple of shows and kind of went on with it again. We decided why don't we have another go, and recorded a three-song demo [Recovered]. In the period after that though, it was not like the 80s when we were able to dedicate a 100 per cent of our time to Heathen, living with parents and not having jobs (laughs). Now, people have jobs and family. It's a lot harder to find time. Plus we always have scheduling conflicts with the other bands we play in. So that's why mainly it took so much longer.

Andrew: Your European tour was supposed to be in March but its been rescheduled to April-May. I guess the Megadeth-Exodus tour was the sole reason for this?
Lee: Yeah! We were setting up Heathen dates for March. Then that offer from Megadeth came in for Exodus. So that kind of put me in a situation in which I had to decide where do I go, do I go with Heathen to Europe, or do the Megadeth tour. And it was like, we can postpone the Heathen dates and go anytime we really want to, but an opportunity to go out with Megadeth might not be everyday. So that's why we went with taking the Megadeth tour and postponing the Heathen dates, rescheduling them for May.

Andrew: Are there any plans to do some US shows to promote the new album?
Lee: Right now there are no plans to do any US dates yet. We are kind of trying to go to Europe at this point, sort of test the waters and see how it goes and then hopefully sometime down the road, we'll come out and do some shows here. You know how it is in the states. Its not really a prime market for metal. That's why we are going to Europe first. The album charted in Germany, so we have to hit those places first and see what happens.

Andrew: Back in 2005, when you joined Exodus, how hard or easy it was to decide on doing both bands?
Lee: There was no temptation to let go of Heathen. It was more about trying to figure out the time and if there were ever going to be conflicts, scheduling conflicts. Sure, that was something to think about. But Heathen is like my baby and I started the band, so I don't really ever want to let go of that. And yeah its been kind of tough for me mainly with the scheduling. But its doable I think. May be I can bring Heathen on tour with Exodus.

Andrew: A lot of musicians do side projects. What's the main reason?
Lee: Well, I can't speak for everyone else, but according to me you do a side project when you are interested in some other kinds of music. If I wanted to play Jazz or Classical music for example, I couldn't just put an album of classical music and call it Heathen. If I wanted to do that, that would be my side project.

Andrew: You write songs for Heathen. How does that go with the writing process for Exodus songs?
Lee: Writing is writing. There are certain riffs that I write, and its not like I sit down and write a riff for Exodus and then for Heathen. I really don't think about it. You write a riff and after that you think, well that one may be more for Exodus and this one will be more for Heathen. Its not intentionally writing one way or the other. There are a lot of riffs that could go either way. On Exodus' new album that's coming out [Atrocity Exhibit B: The Human Condition], there's supposed to be a Heathen song. Gary [Holt, Exodus guitarist] really wanted the riff to build a song around it. In the end, for Exodus I Exodize the riff and for Heathen I Heathenize it, you know.

Andrew: How do you deal with it when you have to occasionally play for both bands in the same show?
Lee: It's a lot more tiring (laughs). When you are playing two different sets its obviously tiring, but apart from that its fine. Its fun! When you're a musician and you get to play live, that's everything you want anyway.

Andrew: What's different in Heathen's sound as compared to Exodus?
Lee: Its more melodic and in some ways more traditional, but like Exodus its definitely based on thrash metal. There are more harmonies. There's a lot more layering in Heathen's music. You get a lot of side dishes, like double harmonies, melodies, this and that.

Andrew: You're starting another tour with Exodus in 3 days. What other commitments do you have coming up?
Lee: Its actually shaping up to be a pretty busy year. After the Megadeth tour, we are supposed to go to Australia. Then I come back and I'm supposed to go to Europe with Heathen. When I get back from that tour I'll fly back to Europe with Exodus! Then we take just a few days off and start all over again with places like Japan, Australia and all these weird countries we haven't played like China, Indonesia and then there is talk of coming back from those places and doing another tour, possibly with both Heathen and Exodus. So looks like I'll be busy! (laughs)