•
Rating:
THE REVIEW
Death metal is one of the (sub)genres that developed in the second half of the '80s thanks to albums like: "Reign in Blood," "Pleasure to Kill," "Morbid Visions," and many others that contributed to the birth of this genre. In 1985, a band called Possessed formed by Jeff Becerra as singer and bassist, Mike Torrao and Larry LaLonde as guitarists, and Mike Sus as drummer published their first effort "Seven Churches"; a raw and violent album, fundamental for the birth of Death metal.
From the band's name, it's clear how religious our four guys were at the time; in fact, the lyrics concern: Satan, exorcists, demons, anti-Christ, and... we get the picture. In almost all the songs, the singer Becerra with his evil and hellish voice always utters the "famous" number of the beast: "666".
The instrumental section is supported by the Torrao/LaLonde duet, who with their guitar lines display massive and heavy riffs, and deadly and effective solos, although some were thrown in just to fill the songs. Behind the drum kit, Mike Sus supports everyone with his speed and double pedal technique. Meanwhile, singer Becerra, as I mentioned before, has a malevolent and malignant voice, but above all, it is original and an inspiration for many Death metal singers (for example, Chuck Schuldiner).Overall, "Seven Churches" is an excellent album that I highly recommend to fans of extreme metal, thanks to gems like: the title track, "The Exorcist," "Burning in Hell," "Evil Warriors" and "Death Metal" which are the pillars of the band. The only downside is the terrible production.
Loading comments slowly
Summary by Bot
Possessed's 1985 debut 'Seven Churches' stands as a foundational death metal album featuring raw, violent music with satanic and dark themes. The vocals of Jeff Becerra are original and influential, accompanied by heavy riffs and fast drumming. The album is recommended for fans of extreme metal despite its poor production quality. Key tracks include the title song, 'The Exorcist,' and 'Death Metal.'
Possessed
Possessed are a San Francisco Bay Area metal band widely credited with pioneering death metal, debuting with Seven Churches (1985) and later issuing Beyond the Gates (1986) and The Eyes of Horror (1987). They reformed in 2007 and released Revelations Of Oblivion in 2019.03 Reviews
Other reviews
By g.g.junior
The album is played fast without compromising, a very enjoyable listen furious and fun.
Possessed with this album have shown to be what they were with all their grit, this is the reason that makes this record a classic.
