merican, legendary, technical, metal pioneers ATHEIST have signed a worldwide record deal with the European based label, Agonia Records. The band is expected to release a new studio album, the follow-up to 2010's critically acclaimed "Jupiter"in mid to late 2018.
Band co-founder & vocalist/songwriter Kelly Shaefer commented: "2018 will mark our 30th year of making records. Atheist will embark on a very important album with an important new label along with a great team behind us, including Extreme Management Group. I feel confident that together, and with their anticipated dedication to bringing Atheist to a new level, the band will be poised for a crushing, new record! We cannot wait to begin this new chapter".
Agonia Records commented: "We're beyond excited to welcome Atheist to our roster. This is a band of extreme talent and bold creativity, a band lauded for theirinvaluable contribution to the death metal genre. They've been there in the early years and paved the way for countless acts playing progressive/technical death metal nowadays. We feel honoured to help them pave the way for next generationsto come".
ATHEIST are widely considered the true architects of the technical death metal genre. The group was co-founded in 1988 by drummer Steve Flynn and singer / guitarist Kelly Shaefer.
Followed by bands such as DEATH and CYNIC, they would together, define a sound that is a pillar of complex, progressive, jazz infused death metal intensity, with supreme musical prowess – the genre celebrated and known today as "Progressive Technical Death Metal". They attained that status thanks to their debut, "Piece Of Time" (1989) and "Unquestionable Presence" (1991), both regarded as important benchmarks of the genre, and both were recorded at the now infamous, Morrisound Studios with producer extraordinaire Scott Burns. The studio itself will be forever etched in the history of extreme metal – along with the first 2 ATHIEST records, Morrisound Studios produced the albums from many known extreme metal bands of the 90's, from Sepultura, Obituary and Death, Deicide, Morbid Angel, andCannibal Corpse/