Atheist

Unquestionable Presence (1991)

Atheist had the experimental desire that many a youth possessed, and hence flirted with technically masterful "jazz" inspired beats and melodic patterns. But unlike many who failed after them, they had the steely resolve to fit this experiment into structures that would endure the test of time. As with all good Death Metal, Atheist did not let progressive elements lead them astray; instead they used them as a vital ingredient to express themes as wide as human social decay and even joyous optimism for the future. Unquestionable Presence is certainly not fodder where the novelty runs dry quickly. It is the intersection point of playful spirit and intellectualism.

Piece of Time (1990)

Atheist's major contribution to the Death Metal movement was taking the technicality of (the under-appreciated) Watchtower and supplanting it into their own batch of progressive music, laced with healthy doses of death and disorder, of course. Outside of Atheist no one had bothered to play Death Metal in a progressive, jazz-inspired fashion before the release of Piece of Time. Whilst not as brilliant as their sophomore album, this debut album sets the benchmark for many bands to follow. Most importantly this still sounds very much like a Death Metal album, despite the technical proficiency (which in lesser bands is used as a distraction, rather than a language). Atheist inspired bands to think more scientifically within the confines of Death Metal, and gave birth to new outlets for abstract expression. 

This album also includes highly wise lyrics on topics such as truth, religion, the environment and death. Great stuff, one of the first bands to take lyrics writing in Death Metal to another level.