.gif)
Possessed (band)
Encyclopedia
Possessed is an American death metal
band, originally formed in 1983. Noted for their fast style of playing and Jeff Becerra's guttural vocals, they are routinely called the first band in the death metal genre. After breaking up in 1987, and briefly reforming from 1990 to 1993, the band reformed under original bassist/vocalist Jeff Becerra in 2007.
in 1983, when San Pablo
and El Sobrante
residents Mike Torrao (guitar) and Mike Sus (drums) started a garage band
with vocalist Barry Fisk and bassist Geoff Andrews under the name Possessed. While the quartet had written some music together, the line-up would be cut short when the destitute Fisk committed suicide by gunshot
in front of his girlfriend and Andrews subsequently opted not to participate in the group any longer.
About the same time, a band had formed in neighboring Pinole
called Blizzard, with Jeff Becerra on vocals, Larry LaLonde and Danny Boland on guitars and Michael Miner on drums, all of whom were high school
students in the same graduating class. Members of Blizzard had been influenced by the early work of Metallica
and Exodus
, both of whom were gaining a stronghold in the local heavy metal scene and amassing a following abroad. Becerra would leave Blizzard and replace Possessed's Andrews (who had played on Exodus' 1982 Demo) as bassist and also vocals;
Brian Montana was recruited on guitar, and the second incarnation of Possessed was created.
and Exodus
, the latter group brought the band's demo recording to the attention of Brian Slagel
, head of Metal Blade Records
. Slagel showed interest in the band and offered to put one of their songs on an upcoming compilation, Metal Massacre 6. The track included was titled "Swing of the Axe." Following the release of the compilation, guitarist Brian Montana left the band due to creative differences with Torrao and was replaced by Blizzard guitarist Larry Lalonde
. Although Metal Blade did not offer to sign the band, the compilation drew the attention of Combat Records
. Possessed signed with the label and released the album Seven Churches
in 1985, with Roadrunner Records
handling European distribution. Mechanics Bank
heiress Debbie Abono
(nee Downer), mother of LaLonde's then-girlfriend, Gina, would manage the band.
In November of the same year, the band flew to Montreal, Canada
for the WWIII Weekend Festival in support of the Seven Churches release, playing alongside Celtic Frost
, Destruction
, Voivod
and Nasty Savage
; the concert was Possessed's first and largest arena appearance, with nearly 7,000 in attendance.
Possessed followed the release with a supporting tour which included a performance with Slayer
and Venom
at San Francisco's Kabuki in 1986. On Halloween, 1986, Possessed released their second album, Beyond the Gates. The following May, the band issued a five-song EP titled The Eyes of Horror which marked a change in direction for the band. The Satanic themes they had become noted for were completely absent, and the songs had more of a thrash metal
style than their earlier death metal
. The EP was produced by guitarist Joe Satriani
, and some of the songwriting was done by Lalonde, rather than Becerra and Torrao who had written most of the band's earlier material.
Mike Torrao reformed Possessed in 1990 with new line-ups consisting of former members of Machine Head
and Pro-Pain
. They recorded two demos before dissolving in 1993. Mike Torrao has said he feels it was not Possessed, but merely playing under the Possessed name.
In 2007, it was announced Jeff Becerra would be performing under the "Possessed" name at the Wacken Open Air
festival and would be backed by all members of Sadistic Intent
, one of the bands featured on the Possessed tribute, and would also headline the Gathering of the Bestial Legions III festival in Los Angeles
. This same lineup also performed at Maryland Deathfest
VIII in May 2010. After a U.S. tour with Danzig
and Marduk
, Rick and Bay Cortez alongside with Ernesto Bueno left the band rendering Becerra and Emilio Marquez as sole members. In February 2011, the band featured a new line-up consisting of Pessimist guitarist Kelly McLauchlin, Asesino bassist Tony Campos and Nailshitter guitarist Dan Gonzalez.
and Venom
as their main influences, in addition to NWOBHM acts like Motörhead, Iron Maiden
, and Judas Priest
.
Although Allmusic attributed Slayer
as being a musical influence for 1985's Seven Churches, the first Slayer album Show No Mercy had not been released until December 1983, shortly after members of Possessed were already writing material for their demo and debut album. Lyrically, most of Possessed's songs focused on Satanism
and death
.
as previously noted. In the 2004 book, "Choosing Death: The Improbable History of Death Metal and Grindcore", Jeff Becerra staked claim to creating the "death metal" nomenclature
in 1983. The band's efforts on Seven Churches
have been called an influence by groups like Death, Pestilence
, Sepultura
, Deicide
, Morbid Angel
, Cannibal Corpse
, Vader
, God Dethroned
and Amon Amarth
, the latter four bands having appeared on a 2004 Possessed tribute album.
Possessed's "The Exorcist" had been covered earlier by Cannibal Corpse on the 1993 Hammer Smashed Face
EP.
Even while the band had played only a handful of gigs in the Bay Area, they earned a huge capital of popularity in Europe
's metal scene. Members of Napalm Death
were influenced by Possessed and credit the band for their musical shift from grindcore
to a more death metal direction after Scum. In addition to their impression on overseas death metal, the group would also inspire black metal
acts like Germany's Falkenbach
, Greece's Rotting Christ
, Switzerland's Samael
and Norway's Dimmu Borgir
.
Chuck Schuldiner
, who had relocated his band Death to the Bay Area to write Scream Bloody Gore
with Chris Reifert
, in tandem with Possessed's rise, told magazine Metal Maniacs
:
In the book Choosing Death, Mantas/Death drummer Kam Lee
called Possessed the first death metal band, and added:
Author Daniel Ekeroth expanded on Lee's assessment of the 1984 Death Metal demo in his book, Swedish Death Metal:
Possessed's association with Debbie Abono
would be a "first" for both sides: Abono would be the band's first manager, and Possessed were Abono's first managed signed band. A grandmother in her mid-fifties at that time, Abono had no previous connection to heavy metal music
other than as a concert
designated driver
for her daughters, one of whom was a girlfriend of guitarist Larry LaLonde. Due to generation gap
, Abono also had limited awareness of the sometimes blasphemous themes of heavy metal, and was allegedly offended upon reading the lyric sheet of Seven Churches. Nevertheless, she agreed to manage and represent Possessed as long as Becerra and LaLonde finished high school
commitments. Although the group's relationship amongst themselves and their first manager would reach points of discord and eventual termination, Abono would go on to manage additional bands in the Bay Area metal
scene like Exodus
, Vio-Lence
and Forbidden Evil, as well as death metal bands like Chicago's Broken Hope
and Florida's Cynic
and Obituary
.
While Possessed's first album, Seven Churches, was praised for its speed and the brutality of the vocals, the second album, Beyond the Gates
, disappointed both fans and critics alike. Released on Halloween
of 1986, the album wasn't as powerful and as influential as its predecessor, and the band's popularity suffered because of it. Because of Possessed's earlier material being more popular than their later work, they are most often remembered for their first album, Seven Churches.
Vocalist/bassist Jeff Becerra continues to play a role in the death, black
, and thrash metal scenes of Northern California
. He received a degree in labor studies and plans to pursue a law degree. He has revamped the band (as vocalist) 2007.
In 1993, drummer Mike Sus retired from music to pursue other careers, going on to get a degree in psychology
and is helping injured people to live a normal everyday life. He is also a drug addiction counselor.
Guitarist Larry LaLonde joined the Bay Area thrash metal
band Blind Illusion
which released The Sane Asylum
in 1988, after which Lalonde with Blind Illusion bassist Les Claypool
went on to form the influential funk metal
band Primus
in 1989.
In 1993, guitarist Mike Torrao founded a new thrash band, Iconoklast, but never released any songs to the public. Iconoklast broke up in 1996. He has since worked as a landscaper and plays music only in his sparetime. As of 2008, Mike Torrao is working with the band INaCAGE in the San Francisco Bay Area
.
Death metal
Death metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal. It typically employs heavily distorted guitars, tremolo picking, deep growling vocals, blast beat drumming, minor keys or atonality, and complex song structures with multiple tempo changes....
band, originally formed in 1983. Noted for their fast style of playing and Jeff Becerra's guttural vocals, they are routinely called the first band in the death metal genre. After breaking up in 1987, and briefly reforming from 1990 to 1993, the band reformed under original bassist/vocalist Jeff Becerra in 2007.
Formation
The band originated in the San Francisco Bay AreaSan Francisco Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a populated region that surrounds the San Francisco and San Pablo estuaries in Northern California. The region encompasses metropolitan areas of San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, along with smaller urban and rural areas...
in 1983, when San Pablo
San Pablo, California
San Pablo is a city in Contra Costa County, California, United States. The city of Richmond surrounds nearly the whole city. The population was 29,139 at the 2010 census. The current Mayor is Paul V. Morris, and the current Vice Mayor is Cecilia Valdez. Current Councilmembers include Arturo M....
and El Sobrante
El Sobrante, California
El Sobrante is a census-designated place in Contra Costa County, California, United States. The population was 12,669 at the 2010 census...
residents Mike Torrao (guitar) and Mike Sus (drums) started a garage band
Garage band
The term garage band can refer to:* A band that performs garage rock* GarageBand, audio production software published by Apple Inc.* GarageBand.com, a website that helps publicize emerging bands...
with vocalist Barry Fisk and bassist Geoff Andrews under the name Possessed. While the quartet had written some music together, the line-up would be cut short when the destitute Fisk committed suicide by gunshot
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
in front of his girlfriend and Andrews subsequently opted not to participate in the group any longer.
Pinole, California
Pinole is a city in Contra Costa County, California, United States. The population was 18,390 at the 2010 census. It is one of many small “bedroom communities” along the I-80 corridor in Western Contra Costa County. It is located about northeast of San Francisco, and approximately a half-hour...
called Blizzard, with Jeff Becerra on vocals, Larry LaLonde and Danny Boland on guitars and Michael Miner on drums, all of whom were high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
students in the same graduating class. Members of Blizzard had been influenced by the early work of Metallica
Metallica
Metallica is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1981 when James Hetfield responded to an advertisement that drummer Lars Ulrich had posted in a local newspaper. The current line-up features long-time lead guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo ...
and Exodus
Exodus (band)
Exodus is an American thrash metal band formed in 1980 in Richmond, California. Spanning a career of over 30 years, Exodus has gone through numerous lineup changes, two extended hiatuses, and the deaths of two former band members. Guitarist Gary Holt remains the only constant member of the band,...
, both of whom were gaining a stronghold in the local heavy metal scene and amassing a following abroad. Becerra would leave Blizzard and replace Possessed's Andrews (who had played on Exodus' 1982 Demo) as bassist and also vocals;
Brian Montana was recruited on guitar, and the second incarnation of Possessed was created.
Rise
The 1983-1984 year was spent practicing and working on their sound by performing at local venues and eventually releasing the 3 song demo, "Death Metal". After live shows with MetallicaMetallica
Metallica is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1981 when James Hetfield responded to an advertisement that drummer Lars Ulrich had posted in a local newspaper. The current line-up features long-time lead guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo ...
and Exodus
Exodus (band)
Exodus is an American thrash metal band formed in 1980 in Richmond, California. Spanning a career of over 30 years, Exodus has gone through numerous lineup changes, two extended hiatuses, and the deaths of two former band members. Guitarist Gary Holt remains the only constant member of the band,...
, the latter group brought the band's demo recording to the attention of Brian Slagel
Brian Slagel
Brian Slagel is the owner and founder of Metal Blade Records. Slagel is known for giving Metallica their first break in 1982, with an appearance on Metal Massacre, a compilation album on Metal Blade, and has since released seminal albums by Slayer, Mercyful Fate, Cannibal Corpse, Fates Warning,...
, head of Metal Blade Records
Metal Blade Records
Metal Blade Records is a record label which was founded by Brian Slagel in 1982. The U.S. corporate office for Metal Blade is located in Agoura Hills, California. It also has offices in Arizona, Germany, Japan, Canada, and the UK. The label is distributed in the U.S. by Sony BMG Music...
. Slagel showed interest in the band and offered to put one of their songs on an upcoming compilation, Metal Massacre 6. The track included was titled "Swing of the Axe." Following the release of the compilation, guitarist Brian Montana left the band due to creative differences with Torrao and was replaced by Blizzard guitarist Larry Lalonde
Larry LaLonde
Larry "Ler" LaLonde is a guitarist who currently plays in Primus along with Les Claypool and Jay Lane...
. Although Metal Blade did not offer to sign the band, the compilation drew the attention of Combat Records
Combat Records
Combat Records was an independent record label from New York City. The label was home to predominantly metal and punk rock acts including Megadeth, Circle Jerks, Nuclear Assault, Death, Dead Brain Cells, Possessed, Crumbsuckers, Agnostic Front, Agent Steel, Dark Angel, Heathen, Zoetrope and...
. Possessed signed with the label and released the album Seven Churches
Seven Churches (album)
- Personnel :*Jeff Becerra − Vocals, Bass*Larry LaLonde − Guitar*Mike Torrao − Guitar*Mike Sus − Drums*Randy Burns - Keyboard on Tracks 1 and 9....
in 1985, with Roadrunner Records
Roadrunner Records
Roadrunner Records is an American record label that concentrates primarily on heavy metal bands. It is currently a subsidiary of Warner Music Group.-History:...
handling European distribution. Mechanics Bank
Mechanics Bank
Mechanics Bank is a community banking financial institution headquartered in Richmond, California. It was founded in 1905 and currently serves markets in Northern California. It operates in the San Francisco Bay and Sacramento areas. The bank has over 2.7 billion dollars in assets and over 700...
heiress Debbie Abono
Debbie Abono
Debbie Abono was an American manager of death metal and thrash metal bands during the 1980s and 1990s.-Biography:...
(nee Downer), mother of LaLonde's then-girlfriend, Gina, would manage the band.
In November of the same year, the band flew to Montreal, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
for the WWIII Weekend Festival in support of the Seven Churches release, playing alongside Celtic Frost
Celtic Frost
Celtic Frost was a metal band from Zürich, Switzerland. They are known for their heavy influence on the extreme metal genres. The group was first active from 1984 to 1993, and re-formed in 2001. Following Tom Gabriel Fischer's departure in 2008, Celtic Frost decided to break up again...
, Destruction
Destruction (band)
Destruction is a German thrash metal band. They are considered one of the "three kings" of the Teutonic thrash metal scene, the others being Kreator and Sodom...
, Voivod
Voivod (band)
Voivod are a Canadian heavy metal band from Jonquière, Quebec, Canada. Their musical style has changed several times since the band's origin in the early 1980s...
and Nasty Savage
Nasty Savage
Nasty Savage was a thrash metal band originating from Brandon Florida, USA. The band rose to popularity primarily due to lead vocalist "Nasty" Ronnie Galetti's over-the-top stage show performances The first album featuring the hit single "XXX" was recorded at Progressive Music in Tampa...
; the concert was Possessed's first and largest arena appearance, with nearly 7,000 in attendance.
Possessed followed the release with a supporting tour which included a performance with Slayer
Slayer
Slayer is an American thrash metal band formed in Huntington Park, California, in 1981 by guitarists Jeff Hanneman and Kerry King. Slayer rose to fame with their 1986 release, Reign in Blood, and is credited as one of the "Big Four" thrash metal acts, along with Metallica, Megadeth and...
and Venom
Venom (band)
Venom are an English heavy metal band that formed in 1979 in Newcastle upon Tyne. Coming to prominence towards the end of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal, Venom's first two albums—Welcome to Hell and Black Metal —are considered a major influence on thrash metal and extreme metal in general...
at San Francisco's Kabuki in 1986. On Halloween, 1986, Possessed released their second album, Beyond the Gates. The following May, the band issued a five-song EP titled The Eyes of Horror which marked a change in direction for the band. The Satanic themes they had become noted for were completely absent, and the songs had more of a thrash metal
Thrash metal
Thrash metal is a subgenre of heavy metal that is characterized usually by its fast tempo and aggression. Songs of the genre typically use fast percussive and low-register guitar riffs, overlaid with shredding-style lead work...
style than their earlier death metal
Death metal
Death metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal. It typically employs heavily distorted guitars, tremolo picking, deep growling vocals, blast beat drumming, minor keys or atonality, and complex song structures with multiple tempo changes....
. The EP was produced by guitarist Joe Satriani
Joe Satriani
Joseph "Joe" Satriani is an American instrumental rock guitarist and multi-instrumentalist, with multiple Grammy Award nominations...
, and some of the songwriting was done by Lalonde, rather than Becerra and Torrao who had written most of the band's earlier material.
Disbandings, reformations and new-line-ups
Shortly after the release of the Eyes of Horror EP the band disbanded. In 1990, Jeff Becerra was paralyzed from the waist down following a shooting.Mike Torrao reformed Possessed in 1990 with new line-ups consisting of former members of Machine Head
Machine Head (band)
Machine Head is an American heavy metal band from Oakland, California. Formed on October 12, 1991, the group was founded by Robb Flynn and Adam Duce. There have been 4 member changes since their inception. The current lineup of the band comprises Flynn , Duce , ex-Vio-Lence guitarist Phil Demmel ,...
and Pro-Pain
Pro-Pain
Pro-Pain is a New York-based hardcore band formed in 1991 by vocalist and bass guitarist Gary Meskil and drummer Dan Richardson, both former members of Crumbsuckers. Debut album Foul Taste of Freedom was released in 1992, displaying hardcore punk and rap metal influences, after which the band...
. They recorded two demos before dissolving in 1993. Mike Torrao has said he feels it was not Possessed, but merely playing under the Possessed name.
In 2007, it was announced Jeff Becerra would be performing under the "Possessed" name at the Wacken Open Air
Wacken Open Air
Wacken Open Air is a summer open air heavy metal music festival. It takes place annually in the small town of Wacken in Schleswig-Holstein, northern Germany...
festival and would be backed by all members of Sadistic Intent
Sadistic Intent
Sadistic Intent is a death metal band from Los Angeles, California.-Biography:Sadistic Intent formed in 1987. Two years later they released a small run of demo cassettes, called Conflict Within, followed by the release of a few rehearsal tapes and demos. Eventually Sadistic Intent signed with a...
, one of the bands featured on the Possessed tribute, and would also headline the Gathering of the Bestial Legions III festival in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
. This same lineup also performed at Maryland Deathfest
Maryland Deathfest
Maryland Deathfest is an annual extreme music festival held in or near Baltimore, Maryland, USA. The festival mostly features death metal and grindcore bands. It has always occurred during Memorial Day weekend each year....
VIII in May 2010. After a U.S. tour with Danzig
Danzig (band)
Danzig is an American heavy metal band, formed in 1987 in Lodi, New Jersey. The band serves as a musical outlet for the singer/songwriter Glenn Danzig. Danzig can be seen as the third stage in Glenn Danzig's musical career, preceded by the horror punk bands The Misfits and Samhain...
and Marduk
Marduk (band)
Marduk is a black metal band from Norrköping, Sweden. The band formed in 1990 and released their first record in 1991. Their name is derived from the Babylonian god Marduk, patron deity of Babylon.-Musical style:...
, Rick and Bay Cortez alongside with Ernesto Bueno left the band rendering Becerra and Emilio Marquez as sole members. In February 2011, the band featured a new line-up consisting of Pessimist guitarist Kelly McLauchlin, Asesino bassist Tony Campos and Nailshitter guitarist Dan Gonzalez.
Influences
At least three Possessed members who had written and recorded with the band at some point (vocalist/bassist Becerra, guitarist Torrao and guitarist Montana) cite early ExodusExodus (band)
Exodus is an American thrash metal band formed in 1980 in Richmond, California. Spanning a career of over 30 years, Exodus has gone through numerous lineup changes, two extended hiatuses, and the deaths of two former band members. Guitarist Gary Holt remains the only constant member of the band,...
and Venom
Venom (band)
Venom are an English heavy metal band that formed in 1979 in Newcastle upon Tyne. Coming to prominence towards the end of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal, Venom's first two albums—Welcome to Hell and Black Metal —are considered a major influence on thrash metal and extreme metal in general...
as their main influences, in addition to NWOBHM acts like Motörhead, Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden are an English heavy metal band from Leyton in east London, formed in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris. Since their inception, the band's discography has grown to include a total of thirty-six albums: fifteen studio albums; eleven live albums; four EPs; and six...
, and Judas Priest
Judas Priest
Judas Priest are an English heavy metal band from Birmingham, England, formed in 1969. The current line-up consists of lead vocalist Rob Halford, guitarists Glenn Tipton and Richie Faulkner, bassist Ian Hill, and drummer Scott Travis. The band has gone through several drummers over the years,...
.
Although Allmusic attributed Slayer
Slayer
Slayer is an American thrash metal band formed in Huntington Park, California, in 1981 by guitarists Jeff Hanneman and Kerry King. Slayer rose to fame with their 1986 release, Reign in Blood, and is credited as one of the "Big Four" thrash metal acts, along with Metallica, Megadeth and...
as being a musical influence for 1985's Seven Churches, the first Slayer album Show No Mercy had not been released until December 1983, shortly after members of Possessed were already writing material for their demo and debut album. Lyrically, most of Possessed's songs focused on Satanism
Satanism
Satanism is a group of religions that is composed of a diverse number of ideological and philosophical beliefs and social phenomena. Their shared feature include symbolic association with, admiration for the character of, and even veneration of Satan or similar rebellious, promethean, and...
and death
Death
Death is the permanent termination of the biological functions that sustain a living organism. Phenomena which commonly bring about death include old age, predation, malnutrition, disease, and accidents or trauma resulting in terminal injury....
.
Legacy
Possessed are often cited as the first death metal band, largely because of the early use of grunted vocals, ultra-fast drumming and guitar tremolo pickingTremolo picking
Tremolo picking, also known as alternate picking or double picking, describes the musical technique of picking on a guitar or other string instrument in which a single note is played repeatedly in quick succession. It can be achieved either with the fingers or with a pick...
as previously noted. In the 2004 book, "Choosing Death: The Improbable History of Death Metal and Grindcore", Jeff Becerra staked claim to creating the "death metal" nomenclature
Nomenclature
Nomenclature is a term that applies to either a list of names or terms, or to the system of principles, procedures and terms related to naming - which is the assigning of a word or phrase to a particular object or property...
in 1983. The band's efforts on Seven Churches
Seven Churches (album)
- Personnel :*Jeff Becerra − Vocals, Bass*Larry LaLonde − Guitar*Mike Torrao − Guitar*Mike Sus − Drums*Randy Burns - Keyboard on Tracks 1 and 9....
have been called an influence by groups like Death, Pestilence
Pestilence (band)
Pestilence is a death metal band from the Netherlands founded in 1986. Later they incorporated more jazz and fusion elements into their music. After disbanding in order to pursue other musical directions in 1994, Pestilence has reunited in 2008...
, Sepultura
Sepultura
Sepultura is a Brazilian heavy metal band from Belo Horizonte, formed in 1984. The band was a major force in the death metal, thrash metal and ultimately groove metal realms during the late 1980s and early 1990s, with their later experiments melding nu metal, hardcore punk and industrial.Sepultura...
, Deicide
Deicide (band)
Deicide is an American death metal band formed in 1987. Their first two albums, Deicide and Legion, are ranked second and third place in best-selling death metal albums of the SoundScan era.-As Amon/Carnage :...
, Morbid Angel
Morbid Angel
Morbid Angel is an American death metal band based in Tampa, Florida. UK music magazine Terrorizer ranked one Morbid Angel album in its “Top 40 greatest death metal albums”, with their 1989 debut Altars of Madness appearing at number 1...
, Cannibal Corpse
Cannibal Corpse
Cannibal Corpse is an American death metal band from Buffalo, New York. Formed in 1988, the band has released eleven studio albums, one box set, and one live album...
, Vader
Vader (band)
Vader is a Polish death metal band from Olsztyn, formed in 1983. According to Piotr Wiwczarek, the band's founding singer and guitar player, the band's name was inspired by Darth Vader from the Star Wars film series. Lyrical themes include stories by H. P. Lovecraft, WW2, horror and anti-christian...
, God Dethroned
God Dethroned
-Biography:God Dethroned was formed in 1991 by singer and guitar player Henri Sattler, with Hans Leegstra and Ard de Weerd. Sattler and Leegstra had previously been in Dysentery; Leegstra, quickly after the band formed, left the music scene altogether. They recorded a demo, Christ Hunt, in 1991,...
and Amon Amarth
Amon Amarth
Amon Amarth is a Swedish viking metal band from Tumba, Sweden founded in 1992, and takes its name from the Sindarin translation of Mount Doom, a location in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth. The band comprises vocalist Johan Hegg, guitarists Olavi Mikkonen and Johan Söderberg, bassist Ted Lundström...
, the latter four bands having appeared on a 2004 Possessed tribute album.
Possessed's "The Exorcist" had been covered earlier by Cannibal Corpse on the 1993 Hammer Smashed Face
Hammer Smashed Face
-Popular culture:* An abridged version of the song "Hammer Smashed Face" appeared in the film, Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, while Jim Carrey was present at a death metal concert featuring Cannibal Corpse....
EP.
Even while the band had played only a handful of gigs in the Bay Area, they earned a huge capital of popularity in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
's metal scene. Members of Napalm Death
Napalm Death
Napalm Death are a death metal band formed in Birmingham, England in 1981. While none of its original members remain in the group, the lineup of vocalist Mark "Barney" Greenway, bassist Shane Embury, guitarist Mitch Harris and drummer Danny Herrera has remained consistent for most of the band's ...
were influenced by Possessed and credit the band for their musical shift from grindcore
Grindcore
Grindcore is an extreme genre of music that started in the early- to mid-1980s. It draws inspiration from some of the most abrasive music genres – including death metal, industrial music, noise and the more extreme varieties of hardcore punk....
to a more death metal direction after Scum. In addition to their impression on overseas death metal, the group would also inspire black metal
Black metal
Black metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. Common traits include fast tempos, shrieked vocals, highly distorted guitars played with tremolo picking, blast beat drumming, raw recording, and unconventional song structure....
acts like Germany's Falkenbach
Falkenbach
Falkenbach is a Viking metal group from Germany that is currently signed to Prophecy Productions. The name means "Falconbrook" in German. The one permanent member is Vratyas Vakyas.-History:...
, Greece's Rotting Christ
Rotting Christ
Rotting Christ is a Greek black metal band formed in 1987. They are noted for being one of the first black metal bands within this region, as well as a premier act within the European underground metal scene.- Line-up :...
, Switzerland's Samael
Samael (band)
Samael is a industrial black metal band formed in 1987 in Sion, Switzerland.-Biography:Although much of their music from the mid-1990s onwards has incorporated electronic sounds which would best define their genre as industrial metal, they are an early 2nd Wave black metal band and an innovator for...
and Norway's Dimmu Borgir
Dimmu Borgir
Dimmu Borgir is a Norwegian black metal band from Oslo, Norway, formed in 1993. Dimmu borgir means "dark cities" or "dark castles/fortresses" in Icelandic, Faroese and Old Norse. The name is derived from a volcanic formation in Iceland, Dimmuborgir...
.
Chuck Schuldiner
Chuck Schuldiner
Charles Michael "Chuck" Schuldiner was an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist.Schuldiner was the singer, songwriter, and guitarist of the band Death, which he founded in 1983, initially under the name Mantas. He also recorded as guitarist and songwriter with his other band, Control Denied...
, who had relocated his band Death to the Bay Area to write Scream Bloody Gore
Scream Bloody Gore
Scream Bloody Gore is the debut album by American band Death, released in 1987 and considered "the first true death metal record". Chuck Schuldiner plays bass, wrote all the songs on the album and provides vocals in addition to guitar for the album...
with Chris Reifert
Chris Reifert
Chris Reifert is an American musician, and one of the pioneers of the death/doom genre. Although his music is more death metal than doom metal, he is one of the first musicians that blended the two styles. He played drums on the Death debut album, Scream Bloody Gore...
, in tandem with Possessed's rise, told magazine Metal Maniacs
Metal Maniacs
Metal Maniacs was a heavy metal magazine founded in 1989 by Mike G. and Katherine Ludwig of Metal Shop. It was focused largely on covering extreme metal, with emphasis on the black and death metal genres...
:
In the book Choosing Death, Mantas/Death drummer Kam Lee
Kam Lee
Kam Lee is an American singer. He is best known for his vocal contributions to an early incarnation of Death in 1983–84, and later joined Massacre in 1985, founded and formed by Bill Andrews....
called Possessed the first death metal band, and added:
Author Daniel Ekeroth expanded on Lee's assessment of the 1984 Death Metal demo in his book, Swedish Death Metal:
Possessed's association with Debbie Abono
Debbie Abono
Debbie Abono was an American manager of death metal and thrash metal bands during the 1980s and 1990s.-Biography:...
would be a "first" for both sides: Abono would be the band's first manager, and Possessed were Abono's first managed signed band. A grandmother in her mid-fifties at that time, Abono had no previous connection to heavy metal music
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
other than as a concert
Concert
A concert is a live performance before an audience. The performance may be by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, a choir, or a musical band...
designated driver
Designated driver
The terms "designated driver" and "designated driving" refer to selecting a person to remain sober, as the driver of a vehicle, while others are allowed to drink to excess . A designated driver is a person who abstains from alcohol on a social occasion in order to drive his/her companions home safely...
for her daughters, one of whom was a girlfriend of guitarist Larry LaLonde. Due to generation gap
Generation gap
The generational gap is and was a term popularized in Western countries during the 1960s referring to differences between people of a younger generation and their elders, especially between children and parents....
, Abono also had limited awareness of the sometimes blasphemous themes of heavy metal, and was allegedly offended upon reading the lyric sheet of Seven Churches. Nevertheless, she agreed to manage and represent Possessed as long as Becerra and LaLonde finished high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
commitments. Although the group's relationship amongst themselves and their first manager would reach points of discord and eventual termination, Abono would go on to manage additional bands in the Bay Area metal
Bay Area thrash metal
Bay Area thrash metal, or "Bay Area thrash", referred to a steady following of heavy metal bands in the 1980s who formed and gained international status in the San Francisco Bay Area, California...
scene like Exodus
Exodus (band)
Exodus is an American thrash metal band formed in 1980 in Richmond, California. Spanning a career of over 30 years, Exodus has gone through numerous lineup changes, two extended hiatuses, and the deaths of two former band members. Guitarist Gary Holt remains the only constant member of the band,...
, Vio-Lence
Vio-lence
Vio-lence was a thrash metal band formed in 1985 in the San Francisco Bay Area. They released demo tapes, one EP and 3 LPs between 1985 and 1993. Their most stable line-up was Phil Demmel and Robb Flynn on guitars, Deen Dell on bass, Perry Strickland on drums and Sean Killian on vocals.- 1985 -...
and Forbidden Evil, as well as death metal bands like Chicago's Broken Hope
Broken Hope
Broken Hope was an American death metal band that was founded in 1988. They were known as an accomplished mid-paced style death metal band with low-pitched growling vocals...
and Florida's Cynic
Cynic (band)
Cynic is an American progressive rock band, incorporating experimental music, alternative, metal and jazz fusion elements, founded in Miami, Florida and currently based in Los Angeles, California. Their first album, Focus, released on September 14, 1993, is widely regarded as a landmark release of...
and Obituary
Obituary (band)
Obituary is an American death metal band formed in 1984 in Tampa, Florida under the name Executioner, then changed the name's spelling to Xecutioner, and later changed their name to Obituary in 1988. The band comprises vocalist John Tardy, drummer Donald Tardy, guitarists Trevor Peres and Ralph...
.
While Possessed's first album, Seven Churches, was praised for its speed and the brutality of the vocals, the second album, Beyond the Gates
Beyond the Gates
Beyond the Gates is the second album released by death metal band Possessed. It took a different direction from their debut, Seven Churches. Compared to Seven Churches, Beyond the Gates has a more technical feeling and, due to poor production, a muddy sound...
, disappointed both fans and critics alike. Released on Halloween
Halloween
Hallowe'en , also known as Halloween or All Hallows' Eve, is a yearly holiday observed around the world on October 31, the night before All Saints' Day...
of 1986, the album wasn't as powerful and as influential as its predecessor, and the band's popularity suffered because of it. Because of Possessed's earlier material being more popular than their later work, they are most often remembered for their first album, Seven Churches.
Original line-up today
Black metal
Black metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. Common traits include fast tempos, shrieked vocals, highly distorted guitars played with tremolo picking, blast beat drumming, raw recording, and unconventional song structure....
, and thrash metal scenes of Northern California
Northern California
Northern California is the northern portion of the U.S. state of California. The San Francisco Bay Area , and Sacramento as well as its metropolitan area are the main population centers...
. He received a degree in labor studies and plans to pursue a law degree. He has revamped the band (as vocalist) 2007.
In 1993, drummer Mike Sus retired from music to pursue other careers, going on to get a degree in psychology
Psychology
Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...
and is helping injured people to live a normal everyday life. He is also a drug addiction counselor.
Guitarist Larry LaLonde joined the Bay Area thrash metal
Bay Area thrash metal
Bay Area thrash metal, or "Bay Area thrash", referred to a steady following of heavy metal bands in the 1980s who formed and gained international status in the San Francisco Bay Area, California...
band Blind Illusion
Blind Illusion
Blind Illusion is an American progressive thrash metal band from Richmond, California. Formed in 1979 by lead guitarist and main songwriter Marc Biedermann, the band had an extremely unstable lineup and went through several stylistic changes during their time...
which released The Sane Asylum
The Sane Asylum
The Sane Asylum is the debut album by the American heavy metal band Blind Illusion. It was originally released in 1988 through Combat Records. The album features guitarist Larry LaLonde and bassist Les Claypool before they went on to work on Primus....
in 1988, after which Lalonde with Blind Illusion bassist Les Claypool
Les Claypool
Leslie Edward "Les" Claypool is an American musician and writer, best known as the lead vocalist and bassist in the band Primus. Claypool's playing style on the electric bass mixes tapping, flamenco-like strumming, whammy bar bends and slapping.Claypool has also self produced and engineered his...
went on to form the influential funk metal
Funk metal
Funk metal is a subgenre of funk rock that fuses elements of heavy metal and funk. Allmusic has claimed that "funk metal evolved in the mid-'80s when alternative bands like the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Faith No More, Infectious Grooves, Mordred and Fishbone began playing the hybrid with a stronger...
band Primus
Primus (band)
Primus is an American rock band based in San Francisco, California, currently composed of bassist/vocalist Les Claypool, guitarist Larry "Ler" LaLonde and drummer Jay Lane. Primus originally formed in 1984 with Claypool and guitarist Todd Huth, later joined by Lane, though the latter two departed...
in 1989.
In 1993, guitarist Mike Torrao founded a new thrash band, Iconoklast, but never released any songs to the public. Iconoklast broke up in 1996. He has since worked as a landscaper and plays music only in his sparetime. As of 2008, Mike Torrao is working with the band INaCAGE in the San Francisco Bay Area
San Francisco Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a populated region that surrounds the San Francisco and San Pablo estuaries in Northern California. The region encompasses metropolitan areas of San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, along with smaller urban and rural areas...
.
Studio albums
| Date of Release | Title | Label |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | Seven Churches Seven Churches (album) - Personnel :*Jeff Becerra − Vocals, Bass*Larry LaLonde − Guitar*Mike Torrao − Guitar*Mike Sus − Drums*Randy Burns - Keyboard on Tracks 1 and 9.... |
Relativity Records Relativity Records Relativity Records, often branded just Relativity, is an American record label founded by Barry Kobrin at the site of his company, Important Record Distribution in metro New York. Early on, as an indie label, Relativity released music in a variety of styles, including dance, jazz, punk, and... /Combat Records Combat Records Combat Records was an independent record label from New York City. The label was home to predominantly metal and punk rock acts including Megadeth, Circle Jerks, Nuclear Assault, Death, Dead Brain Cells, Possessed, Crumbsuckers, Agnostic Front, Agent Steel, Dark Angel, Heathen, Zoetrope and... |
| 1986 | Beyond the Gates Beyond the Gates Beyond the Gates is the second album released by death metal band Possessed. It took a different direction from their debut, Seven Churches. Compared to Seven Churches, Beyond the Gates has a more technical feeling and, due to poor production, a muddy sound... |
Relativity Records Relativity Records Relativity Records, often branded just Relativity, is an American record label founded by Barry Kobrin at the site of his company, Important Record Distribution in metro New York. Early on, as an indie label, Relativity released music in a variety of styles, including dance, jazz, punk, and... /Combat Records Combat Records Combat Records was an independent record label from New York City. The label was home to predominantly metal and punk rock acts including Megadeth, Circle Jerks, Nuclear Assault, Death, Dead Brain Cells, Possessed, Crumbsuckers, Agnostic Front, Agent Steel, Dark Angel, Heathen, Zoetrope and... |
Live albums
| Date of Release | Title | Label |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Agony in Paradise Agony in Paradise Agony in Paradise is a live album from the American death metal band Possessed. The recording took place on January 26, 1987, in Parma, Ohio. It was released with Agonia Records in 2004.- Track listing :... |
Agonia Records |
Compilations
| Date of Release | Title | Label |
|---|---|---|
| 1992 | Victims of Death Victims of Death Victims of Death is the first compilation album by the American death metal band Possessed.-Track listing:... |
Relativity Records Relativity Records Relativity Records, often branded just Relativity, is an American record label founded by Barry Kobrin at the site of his company, Important Record Distribution in metro New York. Early on, as an indie label, Relativity released music in a variety of styles, including dance, jazz, punk, and... /Combat Records Combat Records Combat Records was an independent record label from New York City. The label was home to predominantly metal and punk rock acts including Megadeth, Circle Jerks, Nuclear Assault, Death, Dead Brain Cells, Possessed, Crumbsuckers, Agnostic Front, Agent Steel, Dark Angel, Heathen, Zoetrope and... |
| 2003 | Resurrection Resurrection (Possessed album) Resurrection is a demo album by American death metal band Possessed. The album contains a rehearsal from 1984 and a song by Jeff Becerra's new band, Side Effect. There were only 500 copies of the album available that were recorded on 10" vinyl.... |
Agonia Records |
| 2006 | Ashes from Hell Ashes from Hell -Venues of the performances:The songs "Death Metal" and "Burning In Hell" were both performed on the 7th of September 1985 at the Ruthies Inn in Berkeley, California.... |
Boneless records |
Demos/EP
| Date of Release | Title | Label |
|---|---|---|
| 1984 | Death Metal | Independent Independent record label An independent record label is a record label operating without the funding of or outside the organizations of the major record labels. A great number of bands and musical acts begin on independent labels.-Overview:... |
| 1987 | The Eyes of Horror The Eyes of Horror -Personnel:*Jeff Becerra - Bass & Vocals*Mike Torrao - Guitar*Larry Lalonde - Guitar*Mike Sus - Drums-Cover versions:Amon Amarth – "The Eyes of Horror" on their 2001 album The CrusherCannibal Corpse – "Confessions" on their 2003 EP Worm Infested... (EP) |
Combat Combat Records Combat Records was an independent record label from New York City. The label was home to predominantly metal and punk rock acts including Megadeth, Circle Jerks, Nuclear Assault, Death, Dead Brain Cells, Possessed, Crumbsuckers, Agnostic Front, Agent Steel, Dark Angel, Heathen, Zoetrope and... |
| 1991 | 1991 Demo | |
| 1992 | 1993 Demo |
Music Videos
| Date of Release | Title | Label |
|---|---|---|
| 1986 | Beyond The Gates | Relativity Records Relativity Records Relativity Records, often branded just Relativity, is an American record label founded by Barry Kobrin at the site of his company, Important Record Distribution in metro New York. Early on, as an indie label, Relativity released music in a variety of styles, including dance, jazz, punk, and... /Combat Records Combat Records Combat Records was an independent record label from New York City. The label was home to predominantly metal and punk rock acts including Megadeth, Circle Jerks, Nuclear Assault, Death, Dead Brain Cells, Possessed, Crumbsuckers, Agnostic Front, Agent Steel, Dark Angel, Heathen, Zoetrope and... |
Current members
- Jeff Becerra - vocals (1983–1989, 2007–present)+ bass (1983–1989)
- Emilio Marquez - drums (2007–2008, 2008–present)
- Tony CamposTony CamposTony Campos is a Mexican American musician. He is the bass guitarist for the heavy metal band Soulfly and former bass guitarist of industrial metal band Static-X and frontman/bassist for Asesino. Campos was the final bassist for Ministry, which retired in 2008, though he rejoined when the band...
- bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick.... - Kelly Mclauchlin - guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
- Daniel Gonzalez -guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
Former members
- Mike Torrao - guitar (1983–1989) (1990–1993) + vocals (1990–1993)
- Brian Montana - guitar (1983–1984)
- Barry Fisk - vocals (1983) (pre-Possessed)
- Geoff Andrews - bass (1983) (pre-Possessed)
- Kurt Zanzey - Guitar (1983) (pre-Possessed)
- Larry LaLondeLarry LaLondeLarry "Ler" LaLonde is a guitarist who currently plays in Primus along with Les Claypool and Jay Lane...
- guitar (1984–1989)Also played with Jeff Becerra from 1979-1983 (pre-Possessed) - Mike Hollman - guitar (1993)
- Paul PerryPaul PerryPaul Perry is an Australian racehorse trainer based in Broadmeadow, New South Wales. He is famous for winning the King's Stand Stakes and the Group One Golden Jubilee Stakes in the United Kingdom with Choisir.-References:...
- bass (1992–1993) - Mike Sus - drums (1983–1987)
- Colin Carmichael - drums (1990)
- Bob Yost - bass (1990–1992)R.I.P. Also roadie for Possessed 1983-1989.
- Duane Connley - guitar (1990)??
- Dave Alex Couch - guitar (1990–1991)
- Chris Stolle - drums (1990–1991)
- Walter Ryan - drums (1991–1993)
- Mark Strausburg - guitar (1991–1993)
- Bay Cortez - bass (2007–2010)
- Rick Cortez - guitar (2007–2010)
- Ernesto Bueno - guitar (2007–2010)