Atheist is an American death metal band originally formed in 1984 by vocalist/bassist Kelly Shaefer, guitarist Rand Burkey, and drummer Steve Flynn. The band is credited as one of the most important bands in the development of the extreme metal and technical death metal subgenres of metal music. During their early years, Atheist garnered a strong cult following and released two critically acclaimed albums in 1989's 'Piece of Time' and 1992's 'Unquestionable Presence'. Although the band disbanded in 1994, they reformed in 2006 and have released two further studio albums; 'Jupiter' in 2010 and 'Unquestionable Presence:Live' in 2019. touring on and off in the intervening years. Throughout their career, Atheist have maintained an international fanbase and remain one of metal music's most recognisable acts.