Atheist is an American progressive death metal band, widely praised for their highly technical playing and complex music style. Formed in Sarasota, Florida in 1984, originally under the name Oblivion and later as R.A.V.A.G.E. (Raging Atheists Vowing A Gory End), they eventually settled on the name Atheist in 1988. The band's early work was crucial to the development of the technical death metal genre, marked by their influential 1990 debut album "Piece of Time." Their music integrates extreme speed and intricacy with jazz-like improvisation, a stark contrast to the more straightforward death metal of the time.

Despite encountering hardships, including the tragic death of their bassist Roger Patterson before the release of their seminal second album "Unquestionable Presence" in 1991, Atheist persisted and released "Elements" in 1993, further solidifying their reputation for complex musicianship and unconventional structures within the death metal genre. After a lengthy hiatus, Atheist reunited and in 2010, they released "Jupiter," which showed the band returning to form and exploring their progressive tendencies while maintaining the aggressive edge that had always been their hallmark. The band also revisited their legacy with "Unquestionable Presence: Live at Wacken," a live album that showcases their blistering live performance at the iconic Wacken Open Air festival, reassuring their status as trailblazers in extreme metal.

Genres

Brutal Death Metal

Death Metal

Deathgrind

Florida Death Metal

Jazz Metal

Technical Death Metal

Latest Release

Jupiter

Atheist

Album - 8 Tracks - Released November 8, 2010