Gnostic

Atlanta, GA's Gnostic formed in 2005 and their excruciatingly complex, courageously experimental brand of death metal bears more than a passing resemblance to that of '90s death/jazz pioneers Atheist, which is understandable given that the two bands share three musicians (and a not-so-subtle connection by way of their monikers). These are drummer Steve Flynn, who was a member of Atheist's original formation as well as its recently reunited, late-'00s touring lineup, plus guitarists Sonny Carson and Chris Baker, both of them new millennium touring recruits. And together with vocalist Kevin Freeman and bassist Stephen Morley (partners in crime with AOS and Caustic Thought), they collaborated on a pair of 2005 and 2006 demos before securing a deal with Season of Mist and releasing Gnostic's 2009 debut, Engineering the Rule.