Atheist

[svenske kocken]

Finally got my hands on an Atheist record (Unquestionable Presence - a masterpiece!) the other day. When I took a look at the band members I noticed that there are not one, but two (2) bass players. Did Atheist really have two bass players or what? And didn´t the guitarist on that album, Tony Choy, play bass in both Cynic and Pestilence? Someone please explain!

 

[J.]

Sean Malone played bass in Cynic

 

[Onde Erik]

Tony Choy played the bass on UP, but the basslines were written by Patterson who died prior to recording.
Choy also played in Cynic, but not on an official release.

 

[svenske kocken]

OK, so it´s Shaefer who plays the guitar or what?

 

[svenske kocken]

Sean Malone played bass in Cynic

Yeah, he played on Focus. But Choy played in Cynic before him.

More questions:

how did Patterson die?
when and why did Atheist split?
what are the members doing today?

 

[LordFireworm]

Originally posted by svenske kocken
Yeah, he played on Focus. But Choy played in Cynic before him.

More questions:

how did Patterson die?
when and why did Atheist split?
what are the members doing today?

Car Crash
Other members never got over Patterson's death
I believe they are trying to reform Athiest


There was a website somewhere.....

 

[BRUTAL SENSATION]

Im pretty sure that Atheist reform aint goin to happen no more.....I would love to see em come back tho...

 

[ANEBO]

I wish for an Atheist reform too.. Their bass lines are among me favourites..

 

[TheHeretic]

Kelly Schaefer is the lead singer of the band Neurotica, I believe they are on the WWF label...I think Roger Patterson died in a car crash, he can be heard on the Athiest debut, Piece of Time. Tony Choy played also with Pestilence towards the end of the recording days if I am not mistaken.

 

[BRUTAL SENSATION]

Yeh Choy played on Pestilences "Testimony of the ancients"

 

[Staticmaker]

Finally got my hands on an Atheist record (Unquestionable Presence - a masterpiece!) the other day. When I took a look at the band members I noticed that there are not one, but two (2) bass players. Did Atheist really have two bass players or what? And didn´t the guitarist on that album, Tony Choy, play bass in both Cynic and Pestilence? Someone please explain!

Not 2 bassists. A tot of three dif ones during their history. Roger Patterson R.I.P. was the original. Tony Choy from Cynic/Pestilence came in after Roger's death. The great Darren McFarland assisted later
Oddly enough, there were 3 guitarists (3 gtr parts) on the 3rd album Elements. Rand Burkey, Frank Emmi, & Kelly Shafer

 

[Satanstoenail]

Well I’m glad that’s all cleared up 17 years later

 

[jimmy101]

Literally having a conversation with people who haven't been on the forum in 15+ years here.

 

[HamburgerBoy]

Oddly enough, there were 3 guitarists (3 gtr parts) on the 3rd album Elements. Rand Burkey, Frank Emmi, & Kelly Shafer

More evidence that Elements is objectively their greatest album and by a good margin

 

[jimmy101]

Huh, I thought that Shaefer didn't play any guitar on Elements, guess I was wrong.

 

[TechnicalBarbarity]

Elements is a progressive/technical death metal masterpiece.

 

[jimmy101]

Patchy in places imo. Also contains less awesome riffs per song than the first two albums.

 

[HamburgerBoy]

Patchy in places imo. Also contains less awesome riffs per song than the first two albums.

The riffs are the weakest part of the first two albums. Elements maintains all the melodic beauty of those two albums while reigning in the spazz factor and replacing it with groovy perfection.

 

[jimmy101]

Guess I'm just more of a fan of the spaz-factor feel of the first two albums. It's like listening to a runaway train that miraculously stays on the tracks.

Definitely disagree that the riffs are weak on the first two albums though.

 

[TechnicalBarbarity]

Patchy in places imo. Also contains less awesome riffs per song than the first two albums.

yes, but did you expect their most progressive album to be as riff driven as a full on death metal/technical death metal or death/thrash album? Its a completely different piece of work and shouldn't even really be compared to their previous stuff.

and i disagree with HBB on the riffs on their first two album being weak. About as far from "weak" as it gets tbh.