| Unquestionable Presence | |
| Type: | studio |
| Artist: | Atheist |
| Cover: | Unquestionablepresence.jpg |
| Released: | August 30, 1991 |
| Recorded: | 1991 |
| Studio: | Morrisound, Tampa, Florida |
| Length: | 32:25 |
| Label: | Active Records |
| Producer: | Scott Burns |
| Prev Title: | Piece of Time |
| Prev Year: | 1989 |
| Next Title: | Elements |
| Next Year: | 1993 |
Unquestionable Presence is the second studio album by American death metal band Atheist. It was released in 1991 and added a new sound by using jazz-like harmonies, subtle Latin rhythms and unusual time signatures.
Unquestionable Presence is considered a landmark album in the genre of technical death metal.[1]
Bassist Roger Patterson wrote the bass lines for Unquestionable Presence, but died in a touring van accident before the recording sessions took place. His work, however, can be heard on the pre-production demos included with the 2005 re-release. Tony Choy was brought in as a replacement to play bass on the album.
James Hinchcliffe described the album in Terrorizer as "the very pinnacle of scorching yet brain-twisting technical metal". Phil Freeman in The Wire (issue 261, p. 53) described Unquestionable Presence as a "more complex and progressive album, every song rocketing through multiple tricky time signatures and endless variations on already baffling riffs."[2] In October 2005, Unquestionable Presence was inducted into the Decibel Magazine Hall of Fame being the ninth album overall to be featured in the Decibel Hall of Fame.[3]
All lyrics by Kelly Shaefer. All music composed by Atheist.
In 2005, Relapse Records re-released Unquestionable Presence. This edition has been digitally remastered, and features nine bonus tracks.