Groundbreaking jazz/metal fusion group from the late 1980s to early 1990s who are responsible for inspiring much consequent growth in progressive metal of multiple subgenres. A speed metal band with death metal influences of the flowing kind, comparable to Rigor Mortis or Coroner on their first album Piece of Time, the band embraced full-on death metal as well as progressive rock and jazz for the second album, Unquestionable Presence. The first two albums remain clear- and fresh-sounding to this day and are highly recommended. The third Atheist work, Elements, never quite managed to gel and is nowhere near the same quality as the first two, after which the band quit for some time only to be resurrected as a technical metal band in the 2010s.