ATHEIST – Elements (CD+DVD)

Reissue with CD including 6 bonus tracks, and bonus DVD featuring 3 live shows (in Holland, Montreal and Chicago) and a 1992 interview with Kelly Shaefer. Arguably one of the most groundbreaking and influential bands in the metal realm, Atheist combined a death metal attack with virtuosic level of playing. This union would create a style of forward thinking, progressive metal that would soon become the benchmark for many influential metal bands (Death, Cynic, Pestilence, etc.). Elements is the final chapter in the story of a band many years ahead of its time. Its complex arrangements fused disparate sounds such as delicate jazz, deep funk grooves, Latin rhythms, flamenco guitar stylings, and samba interludes with blistering metal chops to create music that confused as many as it pleased. A fitting swansong for the unique entity that Atheist had become, Elements was almost equally regaled and reviled for the ambitious ideas it put into motion. In the years since the band split Elements has been recognized as a crucial piece of Atheist history and a marker for the wider acceptance for heavy, dynamic, progressive metal.

Product info:

Label: Season of Mist (2015)
Catalog ID: SOM 279D
Condition: new & shrink wrapped

Tracks:

Disc 1 (CD)

1. Green 03:22
2. Water 04:28
3. Samba Briza 01:58
4. Air 05:34
5. Displacement 01:25
6. Animal 04:11
7. Mineral 04:33
8. Fire 04:37
9. Fractal Point 00:44
10. Earth 03:53
11. See You Again 01:17
12. Elements 05:47
13. Unquestionable Presence 04:02
14. On They Slay 03:47
15. Enthralled in Essence 04:31
16. The Formative Years 03:38
17. Mother Man 04:32
18. Retribution 03:11

Total time: 01:05:30

Disc 2 (DVD)

1. Live in Holland: Jun.10.1993
2. Live in Montreal: Jan.16.1992
3. Live in Chicago: Jan.1992
4. Interview: Jan.16.1992

Line-up:

Kelly Shaefer – Guitars (rhythm), Vocals, Lyrics, Songwriting (tracks 1, 2, 4, 6-8, 10, 12),
Josh Greenbaum – Congas (track 3), Drums
Frank Emmi – Guitars (lead), Songwriting (tracks 1, 2, 4, 6-8, 10-12)
Rand Burkey – Guitars (lead), Songwriting (tracks 1, 2, 4-10, 12)
Tony Choy – Bass, Songwriting (tracks 1-4, 6-8, 10, 12)

Guest/Session:

David Smadbeck – Piano on track 3

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