Possessed is an American

death metal Death metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. It typically employs heavily distorted and low-tuned guitars, played with techniques such as palm muting and tremolo picking; deep growling vocals; aggressive, powerful drumming, feat ...

band,Wolf-Rüdiger Mühlmann: ''War Black Metal: Die Extremsten der Extremen''. ''Was bleibt, ist Schutt und Asche''. In: ''Rock Hard'', no. 279, pp. 71-73. originally formed in 1983. Noted for their fast style of playing and Jeff Becerra's growled vocals, they are often called the first band in the death metal genre,Many would however relate the Possessed sound to the old wave of Black Metal which was started by bands such as

Venom Venom or zootoxin is a type of toxin produced by an animal that is actively delivered through a wound by means of a bite, sting, or similar action. The toxin is delivered through a specially evolved ''venom apparatus'', such as fangs or a sti ...

Hellhammer Hellhammer was a Swiss metal band from Nürensdorf, active from 1982 to 1984. Although the band's sound and style were heavily criticized and poorly reviewed during their active years, they have been widely praised in retrospect and are often r ...

and Bathory. Possessed band page, Eduardo Rivadavia, Allmusic "The brutal Seven Churches was arguably the first true death metal album and set the stage for the genre's breakaway from thrash." and paved the way for the 1980s Bay Area thrash metal scene, along with

Metallica Metallica is an American heavy metal band. The band was formed in 1981 in Los Angeles by vocalist/guitarist James Hetfield and drummer Lars Ulrich, and has been based in San Francisco for most of its career. The band's fast tempos, instrume ...

Exodus Exodus or the Exodus may refer to: Religion * Book of Exodus, second book of the Hebrew Torah and the Christian Bible * The Exodus, the biblical story of the migration of the ancient Israelites from Egypt into Canaan Historical events * Ex ...

, Testament and

Death Angel Death Angel is an American thrash metal band from Daly City, California, initially active from 1982 to 1991 and again since 2001. Death Angel has released nine studio albums, two demo tapes, one box set and three live albums. The band has ...

. The band is also notable for featuring future Primus member

Larry LaLonde Reid Laurence "Larry" LaLonde (born September 12, 1968), also known as Ler LaLonde, is an American musician best known as the guitarist for Primus, a position that he has served since 1989, where he is known for his experimental accompaniment t ...

, who was the lead guitarist for Possessed from 1984 to 1987. After breaking up in 1987, and reforming from 1990 to 1993, the band reformed again under original bassist and vocalist Jeff Becerra in 2007. Since its inception, Possessed has released three studio albums − '' Seven Churches'' (1985), '' Beyond the Gates'' (1986) and ''

Revelations of Oblivion ''Revelations of Oblivion'' is the third studio album by death metal band Possessed. It was released on May 10, 2019 via Nuclear Blast. The album entered the UK Rock & Metal Singles and Albums Charts at #7 and the Billboard Top Current Album Sale ...

'' (2019) − as well as one live album, two compilation albums and two EPs.

History

Formation (1983)

The band originated in the

San Francisco Bay Area The San Francisco Bay Area, often referred to as simply the Bay Area, is a populous region surrounding the San Francisco, San Pablo, and Suisun Bay estuaries in Northern California. The Bay Area is defined by the Association of Bay Area Go ...

in 1983, when San Pablo and El Sobrante residents Mike Torrao (rhythm guitar) and Mike Sus (drums) started a

garage band Garage rock (sometimes called garage punk or 60s punk) is a raw and energetic style of rock and roll that flourished in the mid-1960s, most notably in the United States and Canada, and has experienced a series of subsequent revivals. The sty ...

with vocalist Barry Fisk and former

bassist Jeff Andrews under the name Possessed. While the quartet had begun writing some music together, the line-up would be cut short when Fisk committed suicide by gunshot in front of his girlfriend's house in

Tara Hills, California Tara Hills is a census-designated place (CDP) in Contra Costa County, California, United States. The population was 5,126 at the 2010 census. Geography According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of , all of it land. ...

, and Andrews subsequently opted not to participate in the group any longer. Meanwhile, bassist / vocalist Jeff Becerra had recently split with his band Blizzard in the neighboring city of

Pinole Pinole, also called pinol or pinolillo, is roasted ground maize, which is then mixed with a combination of cocoa, agave, cinnamon, chia seeds, vanilla, or other spices. The resulting powder is then used as a nutrient-dense ingredient to make di ...

. That band included Larry LaLonde and Danny Boland on guitars and Michael Miner on drums, all of whom were

high school A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper seconda ...

students in the same graduating class. After being approached by Torrao and Sus, Becerra joined Possessed filling both the vacant vocal and bassist positions. The band had also placed an ad for a new guitarist which was answered by Brian Montana, and the second incarnation of Possessed was formed.

Initial career (1983–1987)

Possessed spent 19831984 practicing and working on their sound by performing at local venues and becoming an active part of the Bay Area thrash scene. They recorded the 3-song demo ''Death Metal'' in 1984. After live shows with Metallica and Exodus, the latter group brought the band's demo recording to the attention of

Brian Slagel Brian Slagel (born February 14, 1961) is an American music executive. He is the founder and CEO of the independent record label Metal Blade Records. Slagel is known for having initiated the ''Metal Massacre'' series of compilation albums in 1982 ...

, head of

Metal Blade Records Metal Blade Records is an American independent record label founded by Brian Slagel in 1982. The US office for Metal Blade is located in Agoura Hills, California. It also has offices in Germany, Japan, Canada, and the UK. The label is distrib ...

. Slagel showed interest in the band and offered to put their song "Swing of the Axe" on the upcoming compilation ''

Metal Massacre VI ''Metal Massacre'' is a series of compilation albums released through Metal Blade Records. It is famous for "shedding light" on bands such as The Obsessed, Trouble, Overkill, Metal Church, Metallica, Slayer, Virgin Steele, Hellhammer, Voivo ...

''. Following the release of the compilation, guitarist Brian Montana left the band due to creative differences and was replaced by Blizzard guitarist Larry Lalonde. The band then hired

Mechanics Bank Mechanics Bank is a full-service community banking financial institution headquartered in Walnut Creek, California.Debbie Abono (''nee'' Downer), mother of LaLonde's then-girlfriend, Julie, to manage the band. The compilation drew the attention of

Combat Records Combat Records was an American independent record label founded in 1983 and based in New York City. The label specifically was for heavy metal and punk rock acts, Notable artist include: Megadeth, Circle Jerks, Nuclear Assault, OZ, Deat ...

who signed the band and released their debut album ''Seven Churches'' in 1985, with

Roadrunner Records Roadrunner Records is an American record label focused on heavy metal and hard rock bands. Founded in the Netherlands in 1980, it is now a division of Warner Music Group and is based in New York City. History The label was launched in 1980 in t ...

handling European distribution. In November of the same year, the band flew to

Montreal Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-most populous city in Canada and List of towns in Quebec, most populous city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian ...

Quebec Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...

, Canada for the WWIII Weekend Festival in support of the Seven Churches release, playing alongside

Celtic Frost Celtic Frost () was a Swiss extreme metal band from Zürich. They are known for their strong influence on the development of extreme metalBukszpan, Daniel. ''The Encyclopedia of Heavy Metal''. Barnes & Noble Publishing, 2003. p.43 and avant-ga ...

Destruction Destruction may refer to: Concepts * Destruktion, a term from the philosophy of Martin Heidegger * Destructive narcissism, a pathological form of narcissism * Self-destructive behaviour, a widely used phrase that ''conceptualises'' certain kind ...

, Voivod and

Nasty Savage Nasty Savage is an American thrash metal band from Brandon, Florida, formed in 1983 by vocalist "Nasty" Ronnie Galletti. The band has undergone various lineup changes, with Galletti and guitarist David Austin remaining the only constant members ...

. 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 was an American thrash metal band from Huntington Park, California. The band was formed in 1981 by guitarists Kerry King and Jeff Hanneman, drummer Dave Lombardo and bassist/vocalist Tom Araya. Slayer's fast and aggressive musical style ...

and

San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...

Kabuki is a classical form of Japanese dance-drama. Kabuki theatre is known for its heavily-stylised performances, the often-glamorous costumes worn by performers, and for the elaborate make-up worn by some of its performers. Kabuki is thought to ...

in 1986. On Halloween 1986, Possessed released their second album '' Beyond the Gates''. They embarked on a short European tour with Voivod and in the U.S. opening for Dark Angel. In May 1987, the band issued a five-song EP produced by guitarist

Joe Satriani Joseph Satriani (born July 15, 1956)Prato, Greg"Joe Satriani – Music Biography, Credits and Discography". ''AllMusic''. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved May 28, 2014. is an American guitarist, composer, songwriter, and guitar teacher. Early in his ...

titled ''

The Eyes of Horror ''The Eyes of Horror'' is an EP by American death metal band Possessed. It was released on May 31, 1987. It was produced by guitarist Joe Satriani. Track listing Personnel *Jeff Becerra - bass, vocals *Larry Lalonde - lead guitar *Mike To ...

'' which marked a change in musical direction for the band. The Satanic themes they had become noted for were almost completely absent, and the songs had more of a

thrash metal Thrash metal (or simply thrash) is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music characterized by its overall aggression and often fast tempo.Kahn-Harris, Keith, ''Extreme Metal: Music and Culture on the Edge'', pp. 2–3, 9. Oxford: Berg, 2007, . ...

style than their earlier death metal sound. The song "Storm in My Mind" was written by Lalonde and the rest by Torrao, who had written most of the band's earlier material. Soon after the release, internal tensions among the band members led to their break up. In 1989, Jeff Becerra was held up at gunpoint by two assailants and was shot twice, leaving him paralyzed from the chest down.

Reformations (1990–present)

Mike Torrao formed an all new version of Possessed in 1990, taking over lead vocals himself, and recorded a two-song demo in 1991. Several different line-ups were attempted, and a four-song demo was recorded in 1993, but the group failed to gain momentum and disbanded shortly after. In 2007, it was announced Jeff Becerra would be performing under the "Possessed" name at the

Wacken Open Air Wacken Open Air (, abbreviated as W:O:A) is a rock music, rock music festival, held annually since 1990 on the first weekend of August in the village of Wacken, Schleswig-Holstein, Wacken in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. Almost all styles and su ...

festival and would be backed by the members of

Sadistic Intent Sadistic Intent is a death metal band from Los Angeles. Biography After the demise of Los Angeles, California's Devastation, which formed in 1986, Sadistic Intent began in 1987. The band quickly changed its line-up, then released a few rehears ...

, one of the bands featured on the Possessed tribute album ''Seven Gates of Horror'' released in 2004. They would also headline the Gathering of the Bestial Legions III festival in

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

. This same lineup also performed at

Maryland Deathfest Maryland Deathfest (often abbreviated to MDF) is an annual American extreme metal festival founded in 2003 by Ryan Taylor and Evan Harting. The festival is held in Baltimore, Maryland during Memorial Day weekend, and it features many bands from ...

VIII in May 2010. After a U.S. tour with Danzig and

Marduk Marduk (Cuneiform: dAMAR.UTU; Sumerian: ''amar utu.k'' "calf of the sun; solar calf"; ) was a god from ancient Mesopotamia and patron deity of the city of Babylon. When Babylon became the political center of the Euphrates valley in the time of ...

, Rick and Bay Cortez along with Ernesto Bueno returned to Sadistic Intent, while drummer Emilio Marquez remained. By late 2012, Possessed had begun writing new material for their first full-length studio album since 1986's ''Beyond the Gates''. They had performed several new songs live which were expected to appear on the new album. In 2017 the band signed a three album recording contract with

Nuclear Blast Records Nuclear Blast is a record label and mail order record distributor with subsidiaries in Germany, the United States and Brazil. The label was founded in 1987 by Markus Staiger in Germany. Originally releasing hardcore punk records, the label mov ...

. By this time, the band consisted of Becerra and Marquez along with lead guitarist Daniel Gonzalez, bassist Robert Cardenas and rhythm guitarist Claudeous Creamer. Initially set for release in 2018, the bands third studio album ''

'' was released on May 10, 2019, their first in 33 years. The album entered the

UK Rock & Metal Singles and Albums Charts The UK Rock & Metal Singles Chart and UK Rock & Metal Albums Chart are record charts compiled in the United Kingdom by the Official Charts Company (OCC) to determine the 40 most popular singles and albums in the rock and heavy metal genres. The ...

at #7 in its first week. In a February 2021 interview, vocalist Becerra stated that he will begin writing new material for the next Possessed album after the band finishes touring in support of ''Revelations of Oblivion''.

Influences

At least four Possessed members who had written and recorded with the band at some point (vocalist/bassist Becerra and former guitarists Torrao, Montana and LaLonde) cite early Exodus and Venom as their main influences, in addition to

NWOBHM The new wave of British heavy metal (commonly abbreviated as NWOBHM) was a nationwide musical movement that started in England in the mid-1970s and achieved international attention by the early 1980s. Journalist Geoff Barton coined the term ...

acts like

Motörhead Motörhead () were an English rock band formed in London in 1975 by Lemmy (lead vocals, bass), Larry Wallis (guitar) and Lucas Fox (drums). Lemmy was also the primary songwriter and only constant member. The band are often considered a precu ...

Iron Maiden Iron Maiden are an English heavy metal band formed in Leyton, East London, in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris. While fluid in the early years of the band, the lineup for most of the band's history has consisted of Harri ...

and

Judas Priest Judas Priest are an English heavy metal band formed in Birmingham in 1969. They have sold over 50 million albums and are frequently ranked as one of the greatest metal bands of all time. Despite an innovative and pioneering body of work in th ...

, and other bands such as Rush,

Scorpions Scorpions are predatory arachnids of the order Scorpiones. They have eight legs, and are easily recognized by a pair of grasping pincers and a narrow, segmented tail, often carried in a characteristic forward curve over the back and always end ...

and

Van Halen Van Halen ( ) was an American rock band formed in Pasadena, California, in 1972. Credited with "restoring hard rock to the forefront of the music scene", Van Halen was known for its energetic live shows and for the virtuosity of its lead gu ...

. Although

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

attributed Slayer as being a musical influence for ''Seven Churches'', the first Slayer album ''

Show No Mercy ''Show No Mercy'' is the debut studio album by American thrash metal band Slayer, released in December 1983, by Metal Blade Records. Brian Slagel signed the band to the label after watching them perform the song "Phantom of the Opera" by Iron M ...

'' 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 is a group of ideological and philosophical beliefs based on Satan. Contemporary religious practice of Satanism began with the founding of the atheistic Church of Satan by Anton LaVey in the United States in 1966, although a few hi ...

and

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 ...

Legacy

Possessed are often cited as the first death metal band, largely because of the early use of grunted vocals, ultra-fast

drumming Drumming may refer to: * the act of playing the drums or other percussion instruments * Drummer, a musician who plays a drum, drum kit, or drums * ''Drumming'' (Reich), a musical composition written by Steve Reich in 1971 for percussion ensemble ...

and guitar

tremolo picking Alternate picking is a guitar playing technique that employs alternating downward and upward strokes in a continuous fashion. If the technique is performed at high speed on a single string or course voicing the same note, it may be referred to ...

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 (, ) is a system of names or terms, or the rules for forming these terms in a particular field of arts or sciences. The principles of naming vary from the relatively informal naming conventions, conventions of everyday speech to the i ...

in 1983. The band's efforts on ''Seven Churches'' have been called an influence by groups like

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 ...

, Pestilence,

Sepultura Sepultura (, "grave")Barcinski & Gomes 1999, page 17. is a Brazilian heavy metal band from Belo Horizonte. Formed in 1984 by brothers Max and Igor Cavalera,Barcinski & Gomes 1999, page 16. the band was a major force in the groove metal, thra ...

Deicide Deicide is the killing (or the killer) of a god. The concept may be used for any act of killing a god, including a life-death-rebirth deity who is killed and then resurrected. Etymology The term deicide was coined in the 17th century from m ...

Morbid Angel Morbid Angel is an American death metal Death metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. It typically employs heavily distorted and low-tuned guitars, played with techniques such as palm muting and tremolo picking; deep growling ...

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 ...

Gorguts Gorguts is a Canadian death metal band from Sherbrooke, Quebec, formed in 1989. The band has been through many personnel changes since its inception; its only constant member has been guitarist and vocalist Luc Lemay, who remains the primary cr ...

Sinister Sinister commonly refers to: * Evil * Ominous Sinister may also refer to: Left side * Sinister, Latin for the direction " left" * Sinister, in heraldry, is the bearer's true left side (viewers' right side) of an escutcheon or coat of arms; see ...

, Vader,

God Dethroned God Dethroned is a Dutch extreme metal band from Beilen, originally formed in 1990. Biography God Dethroned was formed in 1990 by singer and guitar player Henri Sattler, with Hans Leegstra (guitar) and Ard de Weerd. Sattler and Leegstra had pre ...

and

Amon Amarth Amon Amarth () is a Swedish melodic death metal band from Tumba, formed in 1992. The band takes its name from the Sindarin name of Mount Doom, a volcano in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth. Their lyrics mostly deal with Viking mythology and hi ...

, the latter five 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'' is the debut EP and single by American death metal band Cannibal Corpse, released in 1993 by Metal Blade Records. There are two versions of the release, a single version that features the title song "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 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 ...

were influenced by Possessed and credit the band for their musical shift from

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 ...

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 is an extreme metal, extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. Common traits include Tempo#Beats per minute, fast tempos, a Screaming (music)#Black metal, shrieking vocal style, heavily distorted Electric guitar, guitars played with t ...

acts like Germany's

Falkenbach Falkenbach () is a viking metal group from Germany that is signed to Prophecy Productions. The name means "Falconbrook" in German. They are one of the first viking metal bands, starting in 1989, with their first release that same year. The one ...

, Greece's

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. They are also responsible for creat ...

, Switzerland's

Samael Samael ( he, סַמָּאֵל, ''Sammāʾēl'', "Venom/Poison of God"; ar, سمسمائيل, ''Samsama'il'' or ar, سمائل, label=none, ''Samail''; alternatively Smal, Smil, Samil, or Samiel) is an archangel in Talmudic and post-Talmudic ...

and Norway's

Dimmu Borgir Dimmu Borgir () is a Norwegian symphonic black metal band from Jessheim, formed in 1993. The name is derived from Dimmuborgir, a volcanic formation in Iceland, the name of which means "dark cities" or "dark castles/fortresses" in Icelandic, ...

Chuck Schuldiner Charles Schuldiner (born May 13, 1967 – December 13, 2001) was an American musician. He founded the death metal band Death in 1983, in which he was the lead vocalist, guitarist, primary songwriter and only consistent member until his death in ...

, who had relocated his band Death to the Bay Area to write ''

Scream Bloody Gore ''Scream Bloody Gore'' is the first studio album by American death metal band Death, released on May 25, 1987, by Combat Records. It is considered by many to be "the first true death metal record". Chuck Schuldiner, the band’s founder and lead ...

'' with

Chris Reifert Chris Reifert (born February 23, 1968) is an American death metal 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. ...

, in tandem with Possessed's rise, told magazine ''

Metal Maniacs ''Metal Maniacs'' was an American magazine that was based around heavy metal music. History Founded in 1989 by Mike 'G' Greenblatt and Katherine Ludwig of Metal Shop. Where its sister publication ''Metal Edge'' largely covered glam metal, ''Metal ...

'': In the book ''Choosing Death'', Mantas/Death drummer

Kam Lee Barney Kamalani "Kam" Lee is an American death metal vocalist. He is best known for his vocal contributions to an early incarnation of Death (called Mantas) from 1983 to 1984, and later joined Massacre in 1985. Career Massacre recorded two d ...

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 A concert is a live music performance in front of an audience. The performance may be by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, choir, or band. Concerts are held in a wide variety a ...

designated driver The terms "designated driver" and "designated driving" (commonly known as DD) refer to the selection of a person who remains sober as the responsible driver of a vehicle whilst others have been allowed to drink alcoholic beverages. Thus as a prac ...

for her daughters, one of whom was a girlfriend of guitarist Larry LaLonde. Due to

generation gap A generation gap or generational gap is a difference of opinions between one generation and another regarding beliefs, politics, or values. In today's usage, ''generation gap'' often refers to a perceived gap between younger people and their paren ...

, Abono also had limited awareness of the sometimes

blasphemous Blasphemy is a speech crime and religious crime usually defined as an utterance that shows contempt, disrespects or insults a deity, an object considered sacred or something considered inviolable. Some religions regard blasphemy as a religio ...

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 thrash metal scene like Exodus,

Vio-lence Vio-lence is an American thrash metal band formed in 1985 in the San Francisco Bay Area. Throughout its existence, they released demo tapes, one EP and three studio albums. Vio-lence is best-known for their association with the 1980s Bay Area ...

and Forbidden Evil, as well as death metal bands like Chicago's

Broken Hope Broken Hope is an American death metal band from Chicago, Illinois. History Broken Hope was founded in 1988. They were known as an accomplished mid-paced style death metal band with low-pitched growling vocals. As a band, they were active for ...

and Florida's Cynic and

Obituary An obituary ( obit for short) is an article about a recently deceased person. Newspapers often publish obituaries as news articles. Although obituaries tend to focus on positive aspects of the subject's life, this is not always the case. Ac ...

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 Halloween or Hallowe'en (less commonly known as Allhalloween, All Hallows' Eve, or All Saints' Eve) is a celebration observed in many countries on 31 October, the eve of the Western Christian feast of All Saints' Day. It begins the observanc ...

of 1986, the album was not as powerful and as influential as its predecessor, and the band's popularity suffered because of it. Eduardo Rivadavia, Review of Possessed, ''Beyond the Gates'', Allmusic "

he album He or HE may refer to: Language * He (pronoun), an English pronoun * He (kana), the romanization of the Japanese kana へ * He (letter), the fifth letter of many Semitic alphabets * He (Cyrillic), a letter of the Cyrillic script called ''He'' ...

wound up coming as a disappointment to most critics and fans alike . . . transforming a sound previously distinguished for its inexorable power into a ragged, decidedly weaker-kneed replacement." Eduardo Rivadavia, Possessed band page, Allmusic "Their second effort, ''Beyond the Gates'', was released, fittingly enough, on Halloween 1986, but did not have the same impact as its predecessor."

Original line-up today

Vocalist and former bassist Jeff Becerra continues to play a role in the death,

black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white have o ...

, and thrash metal scenes. He received a degree in labor studies and plans to attend law school. He revamped the band in 2007. In 1993, former drummer Mike Sus retired from music to pursue other careers, going on to get a degree in

psychology Psychology is the scientific study of mind and behavior. Psychology includes the study of conscious and unconscious phenomena, including feelings and thoughts. It is an academic discipline of immense scope, crossing the boundaries betwe ...

and is helping injured people to live a normal everyday life. He is also a drug addiction counselor. Former lead guitarist Larry LaLonde joined the Bay Area thrash metal band

Blind Illusion Blind Illusion is an American progressive thrash metal band from Richmond, California. Formed in 1978 by lead guitarist and main songwriter Mark Biedermann, the band has had several lineup changes, with Biedermann being the only constant membe ...

which released ''

The Sane Asylum ''The Sane Asylum'' is the debut album by the American thrash 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 ...

'' in 1988, after which Lalonde with Blind Illusion bassist

Les Claypool Leslie Edward Claypool (born September 29, 1963) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, record producer, filmmaker, and author. He is best known as the founder, lead singer, bassist, primary songwriter, and only continuous member of the ro ...

went on to form the influential

funk metal Funk metal (also known as thrash-funk or punk-funk) is a subgenre of funk rock and alternative metal that infuses heavy metal music (often thrash metal) with elements of funk and punk rock. Funk metal was part of the alternative metal movement, ...

band Primus in 1989. In 1995, former rhythm guitarist Mike Torrao joined a new death metal band, Infanticide, but never released any songs to the public. Infanticide broke up in 1997. He has since worked as a landscaper and plays music only in his spare time. As of 2008, Torrao is working with the band INaCAGE in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Discography

Studio albums

Live albums

Compilation albums

Extended plays

Music videos

Documentaries

Members

Current *Jeff Becerra – vocals , bass *

Emilio Márquez Emilio Márquez is an American drummer who currently plays in Asesino, Engrave, Coffin Texts, and Possessed. He was also the former drummer for Brainstorm (Los Angeles) and Sadistic Intent (1996–2010). Márquez, along with fellow Asesino mem ...

– drums *Daniel Gonzalez – lead guitar *Robert Cardenas – bass *Claudeous Creamer – rhythm guitar Former *Barry Fisk – vocals *Jeff Andrews – bass *Brian Montana – lead guitar *Mike Sus – drums *Mike Torrao – rhythm guitar , vocals *

– lead guitar *Duane Connley – lead guitar *Dave Alex Couch – lead guitar *Colin Carmichael – drums *Chris Stolle – drums *Bob Yost – bass *Mark Strausburg – lead guitar *Walter Ryan – drums *Mike Hollman – lead guitar *Paul Perry – bass *Ernesto Bueno – lead guitar *Rick Cortez – rhythm guitar *Bay Cortez – bass *

Tony Campos Antonio Campos (born March 8, 1973) is an American musician. He is the current bassist for industrial metal bands Static-X and Fear Factory and the vocalist and bassist for Asesino. He is a former bassist for metal bands Prong, Soulfly, Minis ...

– bass *Kelly Mclauchlin – rhythm guitar *Mike Pardi – rhythm guitar Timeline ImageSize =width:800 height:auto barincrement:18 PlotArea =left:100 bottom:60 top:0 right:0 Alignbars =justify DateFormat =mm/dd/yyyy Period =from:01/01/1983 till:01/01/2023 ScaleMajor = increment:3 start:1983 ScaleMinor = increment:1 start:1983 TimeAxis =orientation:horizontal format:yyyy Legend =orientation:horizontal position:bottom Colors= id:vocals value:red legend:Vocals id:lead value:teal legend:Lead_guitar id:rhythm value:brightgreen legend:Rhythm_guitar id:bass value:blue legend:Bass id:drums value:orange legend:Drums id:studio value:black legend:Studio_album id:other value:gray(0.5) legend:Demo/EP id:bars value:gray(0.95) LineData= layer:back at:06/01/1984 color:other at:06/01/1985 color:other at:10/16/1985 color:studio at:10/31/1986 color:studio at:05/31/1987 color:other at:10/01/1991 color:other at:06/01/1993 color:other at:05/10/2019 color:studio BackgroundColors= bars:bars BarData= bar:Barry text:"Barry Fisk" bar:Jeff text:"Jeff Becerra" bar:Brian text:"Brian Montana" bar:Larry text:"Larry LaLonde" bar:Duane text:"Duane Connley" bar:Dave text:"Dave Alex Couch" bar:Mark text:"Mark Strausburg" bar:Mike2 text:"Mike Hollman" bar:Ernesto text:"Ernesto Bueno" bar:Dan text:"Daniel Gonzalez" bar:Mike text:"Mike Torrao" bar:Rick text:"Rick Cortez" bar:Kelly text:"Kelly Mclauchlin" bar:Mike3 text:"Mike Pardi" bar:Claudeous text:"Claudeous Creamer" bar:Andrews text:"Jeff Andrews" bar:Bob text:"Bob Yost" bar:Paul text:"Paul Perry" bar:Bay text:"Bay Cortez" bar:Tony text:"Tony Campos" bar:Rob text:"Robert Cardenas" bar:Mike4 text:"Mike Sus" bar:Colin text:"Colin Carmichael" bar:Chris text:"Chris Stolle" bar:Walter text:"Walter Ryan" bar:Emilio text:"Emilio Márquez" PlotData = width:11 textcolor:black align:left anchor:from shift:(11,-4) bar:Barry from:01/01/1983 till:04/15/1983 color:vocals bar:Jeff from:05/01/1983 till:06/20/1987 color:vocals bar:Jeff from:05/01/1983 till:06/20/1987 color:bass width:3 bar:Jeff from:04/04/2007 till:end color:vocals bar:Andrews from:01/01/1983 till:04/15/1983 color:bass bar:Mike4 from:01/01/1983 till:06/20/1987 color:drums bar:Mike from:02/01/1990 till:10/01/1993 color:rhythm bar:Mike from:02/01/1990 till:10/01/1993 color:vocals width:3 bar:Ernesto from:04/01/2007 till:04/01/2010 color:lead bar:Kelly from:04/01/2010 till:07/01/2013 color:rhythm bar:Brian from:05/01/1983 till:01/01/1985 color:lead bar:Larry from:01/01/1985 till:06/20/1987 color:lead bar:Duane from:02/01/1990 till:06/01/1990 color:lead bar:Dave from:06/01/1990 till:10/01/1990 color:lead bar:Mark from:10/01/1990 till:07/01/1993 color:lead bar:Mike2 from:07/01/1993 till:10/01/1993 color:lead bar:Mike from:01/01/1983 till:06/20/1987 color:rhythm bar:Mike from:01/01/1983 till:05/01/1983 color:lead width:3 bar:Mike3 from:07/01/2013 till:07/01/2016 color:rhythm bar:Claudeous from:07/01/2016 till:end color:rhythm bar:Rick from:04/01/2007 till:04/01/2010 color:rhythm bar:Dan from:04/01/2010 till:end color:lead bar:Bob from:02/01/1990 till:01/01/1993 color:bass bar:Paul from:01/01/1993 till:10/01/1993 color:bass bar:Bay from:04/01/2007 till:04/01/2010 color:bass bar:Tony from:04/01/2010 till:04/01/2012 color:bass bar:Rob from:04/01/2012 till:end color:bass bar:Colin from:02/01/1990 till:07/01/1990 color:drums bar:Chris from:07/01/1990 till:10/01/1990 color:drums bar:Walter from:10/01/1990 till:10/01/1993 color:drums bar:Emilio from:04/01/2007 till:end color:drums

References

External links

Official website

Remembering 25 Years Ago Today: WORLD WAR III Festival
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Possessed 1983 establishments in California Black metal musical groups from California Combat Records artists Death metal musical groups from California Musical groups disestablished in 1987 Musical groups disestablished in 1993 Musical groups established in 1983 Musical groups from the San Francisco Bay Area Musical groups reestablished in 1990 Musical groups reestablished in 2007 Musical quintets Nuclear Blast artists Roadrunner Records artists Thrash metal musical groups from California