Possessed

Possessed stand as one of death metal's founding architects, their 1985 debut Seven Churches essentially creating the template for an entire genre. Formed in San Francisco in 1983 by vocalist/bassist Jeff Becerra and guitarist Mike Torrao, the band emerged from the Bay Area thrash scene but pushed far beyond its boundaries into uncharted extremity.

Seven Churches, recorded at Prairie Sun Studios and released through Combat Records, established Possessed as pioneers of extreme metal. The album's opening track "The Exorcist" and the genre-defining "Death Metal" - which literally gave the style its name - combined breakneck speeds with Becerra's demonic growls and occult imagery that transcended typical thrash metal themes. Joe Satriani's production captured a raw intensity that remains the death metal blueprint decades later.

Following 1986's Beyond the Gates, tragedy struck when Jeff Becerra suffered a devastating car accident in 1989 that left him wheelchair-bound and effectively ended the band's initial run. While other acts carried the death metal torch forward, Possessed remained dormant for decades. Mike Torrao attempted various reformations, but without Becerra's distinctive vocal approach, the essential Possessed sound remained elusive.

The resurrection came in 2007 with Becerra returning to vocals alongside an entirely new lineup. After years of sporadic activity, Possessed delivered Revelations of Oblivion through Nuclear Blast in 2019 - their first studio album in 33 years. The release proved the band had lost none of their ferocity, combining their original brutality with contemporary production values while maintaining the occult atmosphere that defined their legacy.

Today, Possessed continue touring and recording, their influence on death metal immeasurable. From Morbid Angel to Cannibal Corpse, countless bands trace their lineage back to those early Possessed recordings that first defined what death metal could become.

Discography

1985 - Seven Churches (Combat Records)
1986 - Beyond the Gates (Combat Records)
2019 - Revelations of Oblivion (Nuclear Blast)

Important EPs
1984 - Death Metal (Demo)
1987 - The Eyes of Horror (Combat Records)
2017 - Revelations of Oblivion (Nuclear Blast)