An oft-overlooked milestone in the development of metal is what this album is. Years before bands like Suffocation, Cynic, Spiral Architect and Spastic Ink were fusing extreme metal aggression with jazz timings and bizarre start 'n' stop rhythms, Atheist came out with Piece of Time and laid the groundwork for the "technical" death metal subgenre.

Having emerged from the glorious late 80's Florida death metal scene, it's understandable why Atheist was often lost in the shuffle. They lacked the lyrical extremism of fellow Floridians Morbid Angel, Deicide and Cannibal Corpse, and played a brand of metal that seemingly came from way out in left field. However, Atheist was undeniably one of the (if not THE) most talented bands of their era. The highly-proficient and mind-bogglingly creative rhythm section of Roger Patterson (R.I.P.) and Steve Flynn created extraordinarily complex timing patterns, which were flawlessly layered and textured by the near-virtuoso guitar work (complete with wild soloing) of Kelly Shaefer and Rand Burkey, with Shaefer's screechy, yet strangely melodious vocals being the icing on the cake. Shaefer's lyrics were intelligent to match the music - a major reason why Atheist still impresses by today's standards. Bands with this much raw talent in the extreme metal realm today are scarce in extremis.

But, even the most instrumentally able band isn't worth their weight in bovine fæces if they're unable to write good songs (see Dream Theater & Meshuggah). Well, Atheist were also fantastic songwriters, which makes them all the more special even 6 years after their disbanding (a reunion is currently being negotiated, however). The opening title track of Piece of Time is almost alone worth the price of admission; this song starts off with an ominous "whale call" intro before diving into one of the most memorable basslines in death metal history (soon joined by the guitars). The song quickly (and unpredictably - a essential aspect of all good death metal) shifts into a faster tailspin riff and kicks into full gear. This track, like the 14 that follow is a rare combination of technicality, brutality and catchiness; it's very headbangable, but also contains a very difficult-to-play breakdown section in the middle. The rest of the songs continue in this manner, all being fast and unpredictable, yet catchy and memorable.

However, the songs pass by VERY quickly, most requiring several listens to fully absorb. This is not a major complaint, since as a whole, the album is highly fulfilling. But it's obvious that Atheist had yet to fully perfect their style - something they would do on their sophomore effort Unquestionable Presence. Yet despite only having a couple of true stand-out songs, Piece of Time is still quite the landmark album, because of its very impressive mix of aggression, complexity and song coherence. A very worthy purchase for anyone looking for technical death metal at its finest.

A note about the recent reissue: If you're looking for a very well-done and informative set of liner notes, this is the album to get. The packaging is excellent, and contains some very interesting commentary from the band members themselves, as well as a tribute to the late bassist Roger Patterson. The six bonus tracks, having been recorded with low-budget equipment between 1986 and 1988, and before the band had attained their full potential as musicians, these tracks sound VERY raw. Therefore, it takes someone with a true understanding of the roots of death metal to appreciate these absolutely killer songs...you've been warned.

This review is credited to:
The Havoc Vulture