ATHEIST: RAND BURKEY Forced To Bow Out, Stand-In Guitarist Announced

May 12, 2006

Veteran ATHEIST guitarist Rand Burkey has been forced to bow out of the band's forthcoming festival performances due to legal troubles. Filling in for Burkey on the upcoming reunion shows will be veteran guitarist Chris Baker. Baker will be joining core ATHEIST members Kelly Shaefer (vocals),Tony Choy (bass),and Steve Flynn (drums) as well as guitarist Sonny Carson (who will be playing Shaefer's guitar role due to Shaefer's long-running battles with tendonitis and carpal tunnel). Baker and Carson are currently playing with Steve Flynn's new band GNOSTIC.

Commented Shaefer: "In fine ATHEIST tradition, we've been dealt another set of obstacles to overcome. These new problems have made these upcoming shows come very close to not happening but Chris is an extraordinary player, and has done a great job on the very difficult task of dissecting and learning Rand's guitar parts. Not having Rand be able to take part is a disappointment to us, but we have always honored our band commitments, even in the face of unbelievable odds, and this will be no exception. We've been playing these songs for months now, they are sounding great! We simply cannot wait to get it on!"

As previously reported, ATHEIST will be performing the following songs on their upcoming tour:

01. On They Slay
02. Unholy War
03. Piece of Time
04. Unquestionable Presence
05. Retribution
06. Mother Man
07. An Incarnation's Dream
08. And the Psychic Saw
09. I Deny
10. Mineral
11. Air
12. Fire

Upcoming ATHEIST shows:

Jul. 14-15 - Bloodstock Open Air @ Catton Hall - Derbyshire, UK
Jul. 16-17 - Evolution Festival - Brescia, ITA
Aug. 03 - Black Pes Music Bar - Prague, CZR
Aug. 4-5 - Wacken Open Air - Wacken, GER
Aug. 23-26 - Hole In The Sky Festival - Bergen, NOR
Aug. 27 - Mylos Xilourgio – Thessaloniki, GRE
Aug. 28 - An Club – Athens, GRE

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