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Atheist (band)

From Alfawiki
Atheist
Company typeBand
IndustryMusic
Founded1984 in Sarasota, Florida, U.S.
FounderKelly Shaefer, Rand Burkey, Roger Patterson, Steve Flynn
Headquarters
Sarasota
,
United States
Area served
Worldwide
Key people
Kelly Shaefer (vocals, rhythm guitar), Rand Burkey (lead guitar), Roger Patterson (bass), Steve Flynn (drums)
ProductsStudio albums: Piece of Time (1989), Unquestionable Presence (1991), Elements (1993), Jupiter (2010); Live albums: Unquestionable Presence: Live at Wacken (2009)
Websitewww.facebook.com/Atheistband/

Atheist is a death metal group originating from Sarasota, Florida, established in 1987.[1]

The founding members included vocalist and rhythm guitarist Kelly Shaefer, lead guitarist Rand Burkey, bassist Roger Patterson, and drummer Steve Flynn.[2] Renowned for their intricate musicianship, their 1991 release Unquestionable Presence stands as a pivotal work within the technical death metal scene.[3] The band cultivated a loyal fanbase in their specialized genre.[4] After disbanding in 1994, Atheist reunited in 2006 and has since produced one studio album along with a live DVD.[5]

Formation and Piece of Time (1984–1990)

Formed in 1984 in Sarasota, Florida, the band initially performed under the names Oblivion and later R.A.V.A.G.E. ("Raging Atheists Vowing A Gory End").[6] Frontman Kelly Shaefer recounted early obstacles, such as being ejected by authorities from venues unfamiliar with their sound, which he regarded as a testament to their disruptive impact.[7] Their first album, Piece of Time, came out in 1989.[8]

Roger Patterson’s Death and Unquestionable Presence (1991)

Tragically, bassist Roger Patterson passed away at age 22 on February 12, 1991, prior to recording the band's sophomore album. The accident occurred when the band's van lost control while overtaking another vehicle after touring with Candlemass. Patterson was ejected from the vehicle and died en route to medical care due to delayed emergency response. Shaefer received this devastating news while recovering from his own injuries. The incident prompted an outpouring of support from fans.[9]

In the wake of Patterson’s death, Atheist enlisted former Pestilence and Cynic bassist Tony Choy to complete their second album, Unquestionable Presence, which was released later that year.[10]

Elements and subsequent breakup (1992–2007)

Atheist initially dissolved in 1992 but reunited briefly in 1993 to fulfill their contract by recording their third album, Elements. They disbanded again shortly after in early 1994.

In late 2005, Relapse Records reissued all three albums alongside a vinyl box set that included the R.A.V.A.G.E. demo "On They Slay". The band reassembled in January 2006 for live shows featuring Shaefer, Burkey, Choy, and Flynn. Due to tendinitis and carpal tunnel syndrome affecting Shaefer, he concentrated exclusively on vocals while guitarist Sonny Carson took over his guitar duties; subsequently, Burkey was replaced by Chris Baker from Gnostic.

Reformation and Jupiter (2008–present)

On July 12, 2008, Shaefer disclosed that he and Flynn had begun developing new songs. Recording sessions for their first studio album in more than 15 years commenced a month later. To celebrate the 20th anniversary of Piece of Time, the group toured both Europe and the United States during 2009, culminating in the release of a live DVD capturing their performance at Wacken Open Air that same year.

The band announced on July 11, 2010, that their fourth studio release would be entitled Jupiter, with a planned launch in November. After signing with Season of Mist, they officially released Jupiter on November 8, 2010.

On August 3, 2010, Shaefer and Flynn confirmed Tony Choy's absence from the recording of Jupiter due to other musical obligations, though he remained a potential participant in upcoming live appearances. In 2014, the band revealed intentions to produce a fifth studio album targeted for release in 2015. By February 2018, Atheist had entered into an agreement with Agonia Records while maintaining an active international touring schedule.

Musical style and influences

Atheist is widely acknowledged as a trailblazer in the genre of technical death metal. Mike DaRonco from AllMusic described them as "arguably the ultimate progressive metal band of their day." Their sound fuses thrash metal with jazz and progressive rock components. Langdon Hickman of Invisible Oranges observed that progressive rock shaped many heavy metal acts in the 1980s, including Atheist, who sought to carve out a distinctive identity within Florida’s death metal scene. Vocalist Kelly Shaefer attributed their distinctive musical approach to intentionally steering clear of sounding like other groups, which positioned them as outsiders within an already specialized market.

Their early inspirations encompassed bands such as Rush, Kiss, Exodus, Kreator, Dark Angel, Metallica, Accept, and Destruction.

Members

Current

  • Kelly Shaefer – lead vocals (1987–1994, 2006–present), rhythm guitar (1987–1994)
  • Yoav Ruiz-Feingold – bass guitar, backing vocals (2019–present)
  • Jerry Witunsky – lead guitar (2023–present)
  • Alex Haddad – rhythm guitar (2023–present)
  • Dylan Marks – drums (2023–present)

Former

Guitarists

  • Rand Burkey (1987–1994)
  • Frank Emmi (1993–1994)
  • Sonny Carson (2006–2009)
  • Chris Baker (2006–2012)
  • Jonathan Thompson – lead guitar (2010–2012), bass (2010)
  • Jason Holloway (2012–2018)
  • Chris Martin (2012–2022)
  • Daniel Martinez (2019–2022)

Bassists

  • Roger Patterson (1987–1991; deceased 1991)
  • Tony Choy (1991–1994, 2006–2009, 2012–2018)
  • Darren McFarland – live performances (1992)
  • Travis Morgan (2011–2012)
  • Sean Martinez – live performances (2019)

Drummers

  • Steve Flynn (1987–1992, 2006–2023)
  • Marcel DeSantos – live performances (1991–1992)
  • Mickey Hayes – live performances (1992)
  • Josh Greenbaum (1993–1994)
  • Joey Muha – live performances (2019)
  • Anthony "Apollo XVII" Medaglia – live performances (2019–2022)

Timeline

Studio albums

Live albums

See also

External links

  1. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Allmusic-1
  2. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named LarkinHR
  3. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Allmusic-2
  4. ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  5. ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  6. ↑ Relapse Records
  7. ↑ Wiederhorn, Raising Hell
  8. ↑ AllMusic
  9. ↑ Unquestionable Presence liner notes
  10. ↑ LarkinHR
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