Atheist Jupiter Review

Atheist, legendary tech metal band that has been pushing the boundaries of metal since they first formed in the mid 80s. All one has to listen to is their first two albums Piece of Time and Unquestionable Presence, in order to realize the monumental contribution they have made. They have always been generations ahead of their time, which is why they have often been misunderstood and one of the reasons why they have not released a studio album in damn near two decades. Now founding members, Steve Flynn and Kelly Shaefer, are back writing together and ready to release their most anticipated album, Jupiter, for a whole new set of ignorant ears to misinterpret.
Out of the gates of Jupiter is “Second to Sun.” The first thing that is quite noticeable is the organic production. This is rarely heard in today’s music world, where everything seems to be overproduced and represents nothing of what a band actually sounds like when they play live. Not Atheist. Not Jupiter. As usual, they are of a most different and bizarre breed of musicians. Drummer, Steve Flynn, didn’t even pick up a drumstick for 14 years and no one will hardly notice on this album. The level he’s playing at is astronomical. He’s a skin pounding beast. It’s an absolute blessing to be able to hear his brilliant talent dominate throughout the entire album.
Jupiter could be Atheist’s most unified and challenging album to date. The best song that contributes to this bold statement is “Fictitious Glide.” It’s a good representation of what their fans have loved them for. From start to finish, there’s no shortage of complex riffs and just plain weirdness. From there, the album continues magnificently twisting through pure grooves and turning into utter brutality. It’s heavy, it’s obscure, it‘s afuckingmazing.
Despite all of the praise, there are some drawbacks. First off, if you have never liked Kelly Shaefer vocals, then you will continue not to enjoy them. He sounds pretty much the same as he always has from the early years of Atheist to his time with Gnostic. Second, Jonathon Thompson, the replacement bass player, has massive shoes to fill. He will face major criticism. Original bass player Roger Patterson and his replacement, Tony Choy, are both phenomenal bass players. No one in their right mind would want to follow in their footsteps, but Thompson manages, in this listener’s ears, to achieve this feat and very few can match his volatile and intricate style of play.
Only time will tell if yet again Atheist have created, not only a groundbreaking metal album, but maybe even a whole new genre. They will have many, many critics pissing all over Jupiter. They will also have many that will be bludgeoning their beefsteaks with praise and having legions of orgasms due to Atheist’s flawless musicianship. One thing is for sure, they have not lost me as a dedicated fan. I will continue to play Jupiter over and over again until another band can come along and somehow surpass their level of talent. At that point, I will probably be in a convalescent home shitting myself with joy.