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Elements (Atheist album)

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Released
  
August 30, 1993

Elements (1993)
  
Jupiter (2010)

Release date
  
30 August 1993

Producer
  
Atheist Mark Pinske

Artist
  
Atheist

Label
  
Metal Blade Records

Elements (Atheist album) wwwmetalarchivescomimages11491149jpg0529

Recorded
  
Pro Media Studios, Gainesville, Florida in May, 1993

Length
  
41:43 (1993 release) 65:30 (2005 release)

Genres
  
Technical death metal, Progressive metal, Jazz fusion

Similar
  
Atheist albums, Progressive metal albums

Atheist elements full album


Elements is the third album released by the progressive / technical death metal band Atheist. It was released on August 30, 1993 by Music for Nations in Europe and by Metal Blade Records in the US. Elements was reissued by Relapse Records in 2005 and was digitally remastered with the addition of six bonus tracks.

Contents

Eduardo Rivadavia described the album for Allmusic as remaining "admirably true to the band's famously complicated arrangements, syncopated rhythms, and ultra-precise attack, but also boast[ing] a cleaner musicality never before attempted by the group". Elements was written, recorded and mixed in forty days in Pro Media Studios. The band wanted to dissolve but they were required to finish their third album in order to fulfill a contract to their record label. Elements features the addition of a third guitarist, Frank Emmi. Initially, Rand Burkey was not going to appear on the album, and as Kelly Shaefer had developed carpal tunnel syndrome, (preventing him from playing anything but rhythm guitar) a new lead guitar player was needed. Before recording, Burkey rejoined the band, and thus the band ended up with three guitarists. Shaefer plays rhythm guitar, while Emmi and Burkey share responsibilities for leads and solos.

Elements was Atheist's last studio album for 17 years, until the 2010 release of Jupiter.

Critical reception

Elements was described by James Hinchcliffe in Terrorizer as "less frantic and jazz-leaning than Unquestionable Presence, and packed with unexpectedly Latin rhythms" that caused the album to "hurtle...to the edge of metal". Eduardo Rivadavia praised the band for "delivering another highly accomplished set that illustrated both a natural evolution of their sound and served as a worthy final chapter to their all-too-brief and very troubled trajectory".

Track listing

All songs written by Kelly Shaefer, Randy Burkey, Frank Emmi & Tony Choy, except where noted.

2005 Re-release

In 2005, Relapse Records re-released Elements. This edition was digitally remastered, and features six bonus tracks.

Live BBC Radio Broadcast (1992)

Personnel

  • Kelly Shaefer − lead vocals, rhythm guitar
  • Randy Burkey − lead guitar
  • Frank Emmi − lead guitar
  • Tony Choy − bass guitar
  • Josh Greenbaum − drums, congas (track 3)
  • Guest musician

  • David Smadbeck - piano (track 3)
  • Personnel on 2005 re-release bonus live tracks

  • Kelly Shaefer - guitar, vocals
  • Rand Burkey - guitar
  • Darren McFarland - bass
  • Steve Flynn - drums
  • Production

  • Mark Pinske - producer, engineer, mixing
  • Atheist - producers
  • Shawn Camner - engineer
  • Kelly Shaefer - mixing
  • Songs

    1Green3:23
    2Water4:28
    3Samba Briza1:59

    References

    Elements (Atheist album) Wikipedia