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' was once 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. Once 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.
Recommended if You Like: late-period DEATH, OBSCURA, CYNIC, THE FACELESS, THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN
