View Full Version : Should Atheist record a new record?
WhoCares
02-09-2006, 08:33 AM
This topic is on fire over at the BWBK board:
www.bravewords.com/braveboard (http://www.bravewords.com/braveboard/viewtopic.php?t=11651)
I figure we can discuss it here too!
The band is trying sort out the possibility of recording some/all of the upcoming European dates for a live CD/DVD... While the demand for that is big, would a new STUDIO album be good or bad? Should the image stay as is?
So let's hear your thoughts!
I'm kinda torn. It'd be cool to hear some new material from them, but there's always the chance it could suck (or at least not live up to the insanely high expectations people will have) and taint people's view of them/their legacy.
Maybe record a new song or two to put out with the live CD as a bonus, see how it turns out.
WhoCares
02-09-2006, 08:50 AM
Have you heard Steve Flynn's new band Gnostic?
If they put Kelly on vocals it pretty much would be Atheist... at least from what I've heard...
epitaph
02-09-2006, 08:54 AM
I think Atheist shouldnt make a new album.. (apart from a live compilation)
But I do think that Kelly, Steve, Tony and Steve should make a new
prog project.
Let Atheist rest in peace.
Have you heard Steve Flynn's new band Gnostic?
If they put Kelly on vocals it pretty much would be Atheist... at least from what I've heard...
I hadn't heard them, but I'm checking them out now. Sounds good, though I'm not digging the vocals too much.
I'd be excited to hear some new Atheist, but at the same time, Unquestionable Presence is such a monster album that they'd have to pull a Converge and top one of the best works in Metal today. So I think that maybe a couple new songs (perhaps an EP) for right now and see how that goes. But not another full length right off the bat
philanthrope
02-09-2006, 10:41 AM
If they feel as inspired as it takes to do another atheist album, the answer is YES! but they shouldn't do it if they are uninspired or don't have any good ideas. nobody should force them to make another record, it's their own decision. The idea of recording one or two songs to put on a livealbum sounds great, that makes them able to listen to peoples reactions before they decide whether they should make another album or not.
But i hope they will :p
phodg
02-09-2006, 11:37 AM
I can't decide. It would be great to have some new material, but then again if it didn't match up to the old stuff it'd kind of be like an old boxer who just keeps going until people only remember him for the bad stuff and not the good.
WhoCares
02-09-2006, 11:44 AM
Personally a merger of Atheist & Gnostic (Agnostic anyone?) would be interesting as they could do interesting stuff, yet leave the legacy as it is.
The couple new tracks on a live disc does sound promising too...
Kelly did say that it's been a long time, and they (the bandmembers) have all grown and changed, and that they're all in much different places/frame of mind than they were in the 90s. Anything new would be different for sure... but then again, isn't that what the evolution of a band is all about?
Anything new would be different for sure... but then again, isn't that what the evolution of a band is all about?
Agreed.
Grindmasterflesh
02-09-2006, 04:18 PM
Well, Gorefest released a great album after they rised again from the ashes.
Transient
02-09-2006, 04:36 PM
no. leave the legacy alone
Deadpool
02-09-2006, 04:39 PM
fuck yes an they shuld do a US tour and stay together this time.
and just keep Neurotica and the Big Band with Brian johnson side projects
carnis
02-09-2006, 06:22 PM
Have you heard Steve Flynn's new band Gnostic?
If they put Kelly on vocals it pretty much would be Atheist... at least from what I've heard...
I'd agree with that considering what I've heard thus far.
Am I right in saying Kelly is just singing on this tour or is it a 3 guitar band?
I hope this re-union get's properly documented and released as a live/dvd/cd whatever... as for a NEW Studio album.... I'd love to see another Atheist Cd... but I fear that it's best left as the legend that it has become. Kelly, Steve, Tony have all got other bands and interests.
Although... I wouldn't mind an reunion tour every couple of years! :emot-danc
zyquix
02-09-2006, 08:58 PM
No, for now. Yes when they all get long hair again. But I'd love the dvd of the live reunion. It'd be awesome if they included some backstage stuff, maybe some old bootlegs (always in high demand).. OH and the Mother Man video. :D:D:D:D
Burning Ham
02-09-2006, 08:59 PM
As a participant in the BB thread, I've stated that I personally would love new material, provided that that their hearts are 100% committed to the project. From what I've gathered, it's still a wait-and-see approach being taken.
It can be done, but they have a big legacy to live up to.
seijuromitsurugi
02-09-2006, 11:03 PM
i could use a new album... but i also agree with letting the legend rest in peace.
blackdeath_aus
02-09-2006, 11:27 PM
Hmm ... well I doubt their new album would be as good as Unquestionable Presence and Piece Of Time but it would probably still be better than the shit alot of bands have been churning out.
An Atheist DVD would be fucking awesome though! :emot-chee
AndThePsychicSaw
02-10-2006, 12:52 AM
I think it would be Great either way, as long as they get out some New material. If it sounds like Atheist it would be perfect in my opinion. It doesn't have to be called "Atheist" but could be a new project with a very similar sound. But a new Atheist album would be sweet too haha
AndThePsychicSaw
02-10-2006, 12:54 AM
Hmm ... well I doubt their new album would be as good as Unquestionable Presence and Piece Of Time but it would probably still be better than the shit alot of bands have been churning out.
An Atheist DVD would be fucking awesome though! :emot-chee
Atheist DVD would be the fucking best.
shroudofimpurity
02-10-2006, 06:31 AM
Fuck, I would love to hear a new Atheist album!! A DVD would be sick too!
I say... Bust it!
epitaph
02-10-2006, 09:04 AM
Atheist should not even think of making a new album.
But Kelly, Tony, Steve and Randy should think of making a new album, as I said before.
Martinator
02-10-2006, 09:09 AM
I'd say yes, go for it, if the guys feel they are inspired enough to muster the creativity of PoT and UP. I'm worried Roger's absence might prove to be too much to overcome, though, and it might just make sense to leave Atheist's discography as it is in his honor. Not that any new stuff has to sound like the music he was co-responsible for (not at all, a real progressive band, well... progresses!), but I'd like it to have the same kind of aggressive spontaneity.
Another reason I'd say yes, is that the world of progressive extreme metal is in dire need of an infusion alongside current flagbearers Necrophagist. WatchTower isn't likely to release Mathematics any time soon, Chuck is gone, Cynic's legacy is a sad one, and I'd see Atheist as the most likely candidates to give Necrophagist a helping hand getting the genre the recognition it deserves - if they guys are so inclined.
And yes, I'm also very stoked about the prospect of a live DVD!
If they feel as inspired as it takes to do another atheist album, the answer is YES!
I'm in the same boat...if they make a new reocrd, they have to be up for it. But I can't see them release something mediocre just to make money. It's not for sure that it'll be a great album, but they've been playing music since Athiest broke up, I think they could do something amazing.
SwedeMetal
02-10-2006, 09:34 AM
Abso-fuckin'-lutley they should write and record some new material...it wouldn't be hard to top Elements...Unquestionable on the other hand...
seedsofthesuffering
02-10-2006, 09:41 AM
The question shouldn't be SHOULD Atheist do another record, WILL they is more like it.
Of course they should! Why not? Atheist was never about sticking to the same formula for every album anyway. The old classics are there and nothing can change those whatever happens.
This is Atheist, one the the most creative metal bands ever - I'm right behind any slim chance of a new record! 100%.
InvoluntarySlaughter
02-10-2006, 09:03 PM
Well, with all of these fests they're playing, they just might. It'd be awesome to hear new stuff, but just listening to what they've done already is amazing in itself.
Tyler Durden
02-11-2006, 12:57 PM
I honestly doubt it would ever happen...
I'm just really stoked that after all these years I'm finally gonna see them perform live!!! Wacken usually gets filmed, so if Atheist get onto the True Metal Stage (where they belong), there's a damn good chance it will be released on DVD! I'd love some quality live footage of the band and I believe Wacken is the place to document Atheist history.
If the guys do record again - I hope it's under a different name. The Atheist Legacy is way too important to fuck up in the way that Terrorizer are about to do to theirs...
A live DVD? Yes. A live album? Yes. A new studio album as Atheist? No.
Reincremation
02-11-2006, 02:44 PM
they should make three new songs, and if general consensus is that these do not suck, then they should go ahead with a full length.
Tyler Durden
02-11-2006, 03:45 PM
they should make three new songs, and if general consensus is that these do not suck, then they should go ahead with a full length.
One of the main problems with that train of thought is - some fans will be honest & some fans won't. If Atheist were to record new material, and it sounded complete shite, the fans would probably mislead the band and tell them their songs sound awesome - when they don't. In the same way as Me**llica fans who still worship them, next thing you know there's a new album full of shit songs, and the band think they're doing great because of all the hypocritical feedback from the fans under the vain illusion that the next album will be better than the last. I'd rather not see that happen.
If they feel a desire to record together, it should be as a completely new band with a different name - one that will be accepted or not under it's own merits, and not compared and judged by their previous Atheist material.
AndThePsychicSaw
02-11-2006, 04:27 PM
Atheist should make a DVD in all honesty. That would be the best fucking thing ever! I've only seen one concert video and it was really bad quality. I wish they had a good quality DVD that would be fucked!
AndThePsychicSaw
02-11-2006, 04:28 PM
And whats with everyone hating Elements? I think it's fucking amazing. U.P. Is my favorite album, but I like Elements more then POT
Reincremation
02-11-2006, 04:35 PM
And whats with everyone hating Elements? I think it's fucking amazing. U.P. Is my favorite album, but I like Elements more then POT
Elements is amazing. it's my favorite.
Thuathail
02-11-2006, 04:49 PM
I would like to see a live DVD/CD first before I make a complete judgement.
And if they did decide to record a new one, I think that it would be best if they didnt do what a lot of the good 'ole bands are doing now and changing their sound to suit the times, like playing guitars downtuned to B with cutting-edge digital production taking the respect out of it.
That's another thing, too. I know that Atheist would never do that, but what of the possibility of them being inadvertently forced into it? They've got more of a following now than they have ever had, I'd suspect. So of course the interest in them from record companies would be a lot heavier now than it was a decade ago. And who's to say, without them or anyone else realizing it until the actual release was made and reflected upon, that the faceless corporate-rock giants wouldn't try to shift them into something more "marketable"?
WhoCares
02-11-2006, 04:58 PM
I think they would not have a label controlling them. It would most likely be on Kelly's label Starrfactory Records, and distributed by some major label... in which case, the distributor has no say or control over the music.
A lot of bands these days are getting smarter and approaching it this way.
WhoCares
02-11-2006, 05:00 PM
One more thing that crossed my mind when reading some of these posts... what about re-recording the albums? (let's face it, with todays technology, they could make the albums even more sweet then they already are!)
AndThePsychicSaw
02-11-2006, 05:12 PM
One more thing that crossed my mind when reading some of these posts... what about re-recording the albums? (let's face it, with todays technology, they could make the albums even more sweet then they already are!)
I'd buy it and wouldn't mind if they did it, but in my opinion, it is that raw sound they have on their recordings that make them that much more enjoyable to listen to.
Reincremation
02-11-2006, 05:21 PM
One more thing that crossed my mind when reading some of these posts... what about re-recording the albums? (let's face it, with todays technology, they could make the albums even more sweet then they already are!)
that's not a good idea at all, and i don't see why it would make the albums any better.
alessio
02-12-2006, 08:07 AM
I think Atheist are a legend also because they stopped after their 3rd album: I'm pretty sure every fan has asked him/her-self many times "what would they have done if they hadn't split?". I'm pretty sure that everyone who made this question believes they would have done something great, something truly beautiful. I'm pretty sure, too, that everything they would produce now, no matter how good it is (and, face it, there's the possibility that it won't be good at all, even if I trust them to still be great musicians), wouldn't meet the expectations.
So, I think they should not do another studio album. If they feel they have still something to say, they should form a new band, with another name.
Of course, this is strictly my own opinion, and ultimately it is the band who should decide.
alessio
Tyler Durden
02-12-2006, 08:46 AM
I'm actually quite happy with the remasters! I was initially perturbed with the production on Unquestionable Presence. I can't stand Scot Burns - he's totally destroyed WAY too many classic albums with his oversaturated bass sound & serious lack of volume. However, the remaster did sound a whole lot healthier. In fact, the Demo songs from the album sounded even better than the album songs...
Cynic, is a prime example of Scot Burns incompetence. Only now, years later we have the remaster of Focus - with 3 songs totally remixed & remastered by Paul Masvidal - and they sound fucking stunning!!! The way they were meant to be heard in the first place. You really notice tons of subliminal shit in the songs that were buried by Burns for all these years, and you can't help but feel ripped off.
I don't think re-recording a full album worth of music (like Testament: First Strike Still Deadly) would be worth the bother, as their music is fine as is. However, if they do eventually release a live album from any of the shows - if they wish to maybe re-record a song or two from each album (maybe with symbolic meaning for the band) to fill out the extra time available on the CD - then I won't complain...
WhoCares
02-12-2006, 10:41 AM
I initially said it to get some feedback... it sure worked :D that's the whole purpose of this thread after all!
I do like Testament's "First Strike Still Deadly", and I did, and still do own nearly every album Testament put out back in the day, either on cassette or CD (or both in some cases, gotta love bargain bins :D) I liked the renewed sound (sounds superb on my 5.1 stereo). I think it was Rand that posted on the old forum about it being a miracle that they got any better sound with the Atheist remasters, considering what they had to work with...
As for a new album as Atheist, I highly doubt we'll see anything other than a live CD/DVD. Elements was pretty much done to fill contractual agreement with the label. At first, there was only really Kelly. (Tony Choy was a hired gun to replace Roger. I love his work, I'm not sure how much creative he added to the mix. Obviously he did a lot more on Elements, but Unquestionable Presence was already mostly if not completely written) Also at the beginning Rand Burkey wasn't involved, and Steve Flynn wasn't at all.
Technically any new album would be more of a third album than Elements was. Especially if the complete lineup from Unquestionable Presence is involved.
This is all entirely my opinion and based on interviews/comments I've read from the band members. If I've misunderstood anything, I apologize. Try not to flame me too much :p
alessio
02-12-2006, 12:22 PM
I have a different view about Elements. I agree that half of the band wasn't there anymore, and that their style changed quite a lot from the previous album. But, as you said this album was done due to contractual obligations: how hard could it be for them to release a plain death metal album? Certainly it was way less risky than producing an album like Elements.
For me, the unique style of this album is the final proof, if we need one, that those guys really loved what they were doing. Such an album is something that cannot be repeated.
alessio
quigonkick
02-13-2006, 10:39 PM
Atheist should not even think of making a new album.
But Kelly, Tony, Steve and Randy should think of making a new album, as I said before.
I'm with you 100% on that.
The Atheist name holds a LOT of honor. As much as we'd all like to see a new album with Atheist on it, I think that we all would be pretty guilty of comparing it to past works. That would not be fair to anyone.
So many bands have gotten back together, how many reunions REALLY work for the sake of the artists, their legacy, AND the music?
Suffocation returning hasn't really ruined their legacy at all...*shrug*
WhoCares
02-14-2006, 05:35 AM
it's nice to see bands like Suffocation & Obituary again... although neither has done a spectacular comeback album, they're not bad releases...
INCINERATE
02-14-2006, 07:25 AM
I would love to see some new material, but only if it can live up to the tunes from back in the day. If it can't, then no, as it would only be a disappointment to the fans if the new material was weak.
El Chupacabra
02-14-2006, 12:53 PM
It would be interesting if they could jump in a write an Atheist record after all these years. But I would much rather see a DVD of previous shows, and maybe something from an upcoming show.
Kill Or Be Killed
02-15-2006, 05:06 PM
One of the main problems with that train of thought is - some fans will be honest & some fans won't. If Atheist were to record new material, and it sounded complete shite, the fans would probably mislead the band and tell them their songs sound awesome - when they don't. In the same way as Me**llica fans who still worship them, next thing you know there's a new album full of shit songs, and the band think they're doing great because of all the hypocritical feedback from the fans under the vain illusion that the next album will be better than the last. I'd rather not see that happen.
If they feel a desire to record together, it should be as a completely new band with a different name - one that will be accepted or not under it's own merits, and not compared and judged by their previous Atheist material.
I can't say it better!!!!!!! This is exactly what happens this days. As a RAVAGE/ ATHEIST fan for the last 20 years, I say: NO new ATHEIST record! The guys are in a different world now and they wouldn't capture again the magnificence of "UP" especially.
And sorry but GNOSTIC has not much in common with ATHEIST.
mvikred
03-04-2006, 01:09 PM
i think atheist should do a new record ? , if there is speculation that they might not live upto POT, UP, or E , then i'd say start a new project with the same line up .... they wud still kick a$$ .
mvikred
Bassshredder
03-08-2006, 12:16 AM
Personally,I would say yes because ,I think they know what they would have to surpass and I truly believe they would,it would probably turn the metal world upside down and discourage alot of bands but than again it would also inspire many..one can only wonder but it would be the shit if they did
Bassshredder
Corpseworm
03-08-2006, 10:56 AM
One of the main problems with that train of thought is - some fans will be honest & some fans won't. If Atheist were to record new material, and it sounded complete shite, the fans would probably mislead the band and tell them their songs sound awesome - when they don't. In the same way as Me**llica fans who still worship them, next thing you know there's a new album full of shit songs, and the band think they're doing great because of all the hypocritical feedback from the fans under the vain illusion that the next album will be better than the last. I'd rather not see that happen.
If they feel a desire to record together, it should be as a completely new band with a different name - one that will be accepted or not under it's own merits, and not compared and judged by their previous Atheist material.
I can't say it better!!!!!!! This is exactly what happens this days. As a RAVAGE/ ATHEIST fan for the last 20 years, I say: NO new ATHEIST record! The guys are in a different world now and they wouldn't capture again the magnificence of "UP" especially.
And sorry but GNOSTIC has not much in common with ATHEIST.
Thank you! Although its humbling to be compared to Atheist we tried very hard not to immulate them. I understand that there are going to be some similarities since Steve Flynn is in the band. Also, Rand and Kelly have very unique styles and are excellent guitar players. We dont want to sound like Atheist and that's only because we want our own identites. Atheist was way ahead of their time and its great to see them still around after all these years. Its just depressing to see a review calling Atheist our predocessors. Its like saying a Southern Pizza joints authentic NY pizza, you just cant copy it and we dont want to. Hopefully after our next demo release it will become clearer about what direction we are going. All of you are great... I have never seen this much love from fans. I hope we encourage the same response eventually.
ixdxpx
03-24-2006, 02:03 PM
NO. If they would record new ones, under a new band name would be better.
Satura
03-24-2006, 06:24 PM
I love Gnostic, and i think that this guys must released a new album, may Atheist or other be the name, i don`t care... this guys are genius and i love to hear new music from them...
Elements it`s my favorite and i want to hear this songs with the mighty Steve Flynn on drums...
cod_fury
03-25-2006, 12:44 AM
Gnostic is fucking AWESOME! i love them...
cod_fury
03-25-2006, 12:46 AM
Thank you! Although its humbling to be compared to Atheist we tried very hard not to immulate them. I understand that there are going to be some similarities since Steve Flynn is in the band. Also, Rand and Kelly have very unique styles and are excellent guitar players. We dont want to sound like Atheist and that's only because we want our own identites. Atheist was way ahead of their time and its great to see them still around after all these years. Its just depressing to see a review calling Atheist our predocessors. Its like saying a Southern Pizza joints authentic NY pizza, you just cant copy it and we dont want to. Hopefully after our next demo release it will become clearer about what direction we are going. All of you are great... I have never seen this much love from fans. I hope we encourage the same response eventually.
you guys are similar to atheist butyou are also very much different... you can hear the influences but thats all. so i wouldnt say you guys are atheist with another singer because that is totally incorrect!
anyway you guys rock! keep it up
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