Atheist "Piece Of Time (Remastered 2005, USA, Relapse Records, RR 6673-2)"

Piece of Time is the debut album by the technical death metal band Atheist, released in 1989 in Europe. However, it was not released in the United States until 1990. This was because the label that Atheist had initially signed with, Mean Machine Records, was going bankrupt, and the band had to search for another label. They eventually signed with UK label Active Records, who released their album in Europe soon after. The album was not released in the US for another six months, until Metal Blade Records finally arranged a licensing deal with Active Records and released it to the American market in November 1990. Piece of Time is the only Atheist album to feature bassist Roger Patterson, although he wrote much of the bass on Unquestionable Presence.

Although "Piece of Time" was recorded and completed in 1988, it faced multiple delays until its release in 1990, due to label politics. The album was planned for release in 1989, but the label that Atheist was initially signed to at the time (Mean Machine Records) went bankrupt, so the band had to search for another label, until Active Records signed them and released "Piece of Time" in early 1990. However, it took six months for the album to be released in the United States, when Metal Blade Records finally arranged a licensing deal with Active and released it in the United States in November 1990, roughly two years after the album's completion.

In 2005, Piece of Time was ranked number 402 in Rock Hard magazine's book of The 500 Greatest Rock & Metal Albums of All Time. It was described by James Hinchcliffe in Terrorizer as the band's "least technically accomplished release and their most lyrically immature, [yet] it remains an exceptional work of late 80s deaththrash, crackling with an uncommon energy and creativity".

In 2002, EMG Entertainment re-released Piece of Time. Originally, EMG Entertainment was supposed to reissue all three Atheist albums, but Kelly Shaefer aborted those plans after only Piece of Time had been reissued. This release has been digitally remastered, and features six bonus tracks.

In 2005, Relapse Records re-released Piece of Time, this time along with the rest of Atheist's catalogue. This release was also digitally remastered, and features nine bonus tracks.

Tracklist:

1. Piece of Time 04:32
2. Unholy War 02:18   
3. Room with a View 04:05   
4. On They Slay 03:37
5. Beyond 02:59   
6. I Deny 03:59
7. Why Bother? 02:55  
8. Life 03:11  
9. No Truth 04:36   
10. No Truth 04:00
11. On They Slay 03:52
12. Choose Your Death 03:19  
13. Brain Damage 04:42  
14. Beyond 03:15
15. Hell Hath No Mercy 03:04  
16. On They Slay 04:04   
17. Brain Damage 04:48  
18. Undefiled Wisdom 04:27  

Time:  01:07:43  

Released as part of Relapse Records' Cult Classic series.

Tracks 10-14 "Beyond" demo.

Track 15 "Hell Hath No Mercy" demo.

Tracks 16-18 R.A.V.A.G.E. "On We Slay" demo.

Recording information:

Tracks 1-9 recorded and mixed at Morrisound Recording, Tampa, Florida, November-December 1988.

Remastered at the Pain Cave.

Mastered at Fullersound in Miami, Florida.