Roger Patterson (November 29, 1968 – February 12, 1991) was an American bass player known for his work in the

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

technical death metal Technical death metal (also referred to as tech-death) is a musical subgenre of death metal that began and developed in the early- to mid-1990s, with particular focus on challenging, demanding instrumental skill and complex songwriting. Techni ...

band

Atheist Atheism, in the broadest sense, is an absence of belief in the existence of deities. Less broadly, atheism is a rejection of the belief that any deities exist. In an even narrower sense, atheism is specifically the position that there no ...

. His playing style is characterized by its speed and complexity.

Alex Webster Alex Webster (born 1969) is an American bass player who is best known as a member of the death metal band Cannibal Corpse. He is one of two remaining members of the original lineup of the band, along with drummer Paul Mazurkiewicz. He is al ...

, bassist with

Cannibal Corpse Cannibal Corpse is an American death metal band formed in Buffalo, New York in 1988, now based out of Tampa, Florida. The band has released fifteen studio albums, two box sets, four video albums, and two live albums. The band has had little radi ...

, has acknowledged Patterson as "a big influence", describing his playing on the album ''

Piece of Time ''Piece of Time'' is the debut album by American technical death metal band Atheist (band), Atheist, recorded in 1988 but not released officially until 1990. This was because the label that Atheist had initially signed with, Mean Machine Records ...

'' as "phenomenal". Patterson joined Atheist (then known as R.A.V.A.G.E.) in 1985. The band recorded their first full-length album, ''Piece of Time,'' in 1988, but due to record company issues, it was not released until two years later. As a result, Atheist began preparing for their next album, to which Roger contributed greatly. Before recording, however, the band was in a car crash and Roger was killed, on February 12, 1991. Atheist would record and release their next album, ''

Unquestionable Presence ''Unquestionable Presence'' is the second album by the 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. Content It is considered a landmark a ...

'', later that year and dedicate it to Roger's memory. The 2005 re-issue version features several previously unheard demo recordings of Patterson performing ''UP'' material. In 1991, the

grindcore Grindcore is an extreme fusion genre of heavy metal and hardcore punk that originated in the mid-1980s, drawing inspiration from abrasive-sounding musical styles, such as thrashcore, crust punk, hardcore punk, extreme metal, and industrial. G ...

band

Napalm Death Napalm Death are an English grindcore band formed in 1981 in Meriden, West Midlands. None of the band's original members has been in the group since 1986. But since ''Utopia Banished'' (1992), the lineup of bassist Shane Embury, guitarist Mitch ...

released ''

Mass Appeal Madness ''Mass Appeal Madness'' is an EP by Napalm Death. It was released in 1991 on Earache Records and is dedicated to the memory of Roger Patterson, a member of the death metal band Atheist who died in the same year. Track listing *The songs ...

'' in Roger's memory, as did

Suffocation Asphyxia or asphyxiation is a condition of deficient supply of oxygen to the body which arises from abnormal breathing. Asphyxia causes generalized hypoxia, which affects primarily the tissues and organs. There are many circumstances that can i ...

with their album '' Effigy of the Forgotten,'' and members of

Death Death is the irreversible cessation of all biological functions that sustain an organism. For organisms with a brain, death can also be defined as the irreversible cessation of functioning of the whole brain, including brainstem, and brain ...

paid homage to him on their album ''

Human Humans (''Homo sapiens'') are the most abundant and widespread species of primate, characterized by bipedalism and exceptional cognitive skills due to a large and complex brain. This has enabled the development of advanced tools, culture, ...

'' (see liner notes).

References

1968 births 1991 deaths American heavy metal bass guitarists American male bass guitarists Road incident deaths in the United States 20th-century American bass guitarists 20th-century American male musicians {{US-bass-guitarist-stub