Atheist - Piece Of Time (1990)

A great time for death metal even if the scene was saturated in bands who for some reason all wanted a similar sound. Atheist were always a quality techno-thrash act, and 'Piece Of Time' was their arrival on the scene, a tight, efficient record bringing to mind the likes of Death with its sharp, choppy changes, intricate solo's and unconventional brutality.

In time the band would lose much of their aggression as they, like Death, Cynic, etc, paved a more complex route within the genre, but as a debut album this still chugs with the best of them, making Atheist somewhat a cult item for fans. At the time such a record may well have gotten swallowed up by the same sounding masses, but many years later it remains as vital record within the scene.

8/10