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Classic after classic of extreme music, revisiting "Seven Churches" by Possessed is a must. Urban legends in rock say that Slayer themselves decided to choose their mode of expression with studs, leather, and blasphemous symbols after attending a concert by this Californian band (whether this is true, I do not know).
The certain thing is that Death Metal (a genre I am particularly not very fond of) was decisively influenced by this group. "Seven Churches" is their first album, released in 1985, definitely their best work, given the youthful genuineness and charisma that does not make them descend into the assembly of older metalheads "convinced preachers" and quite ridiculous.
The album is played fast without compromising, a very enjoyable listen furious and fun, with pounding rhythms and heavy guitars marking every single part of the work with "youthful antics" justified by the young age of the musicians and the desire to shock the audience not yet very used to listening to themes of this magnitude.
The guitarists Torrao and Lalonde are forces of nature, not yet highly skilled musicians, they venture into their best wild part with simple but incisive rhythms, detailed with the addition of sinister trills and pounding tempo changes. Their deadly weapon is the interchanges of solos, over-the-top and dissonant, adding an extra touch to their music, managing to immerse the listener more into an atmosphere of flames and fires of hell.
The drummer Sus with his thrashy tempo, and I emphasize without the need for blast beats, manages to make the album an easier listen, it is not excessively monotonous nor monstrously technical, given that in modern extreme music it is not much considered. In "Seven Churches" the listener is not exhausted after the entire duration of the work due to incomprehensibly fast and technical rhythms but pleasantly satisfied.
The backbone of the band, however, is the singer Becerra, also with an old-school extreme voice, from the Venom school, who despite his guttural manages to make the lyrics understandable to the ear. Particularly charismatic, he has been a master for many new recruits of death metal.
From the titles of the ten tracks, many things can be understood: "Pentagram", "Burning in Hell", "Evil Warriors", "Holy Hell", "Fallen Angel", "Death metal", "The Exorcist". These four devilish guys were as interested in astrophysics, meaning they just wanted to have fun, touching on uncomfortable and out-of-place themes just to cause a stir and maybe to make people talk about them with excellent publicity.
Released in the far-away '85, "Seven Churches" may seem a small reality fortunately removed to modern Death Metallers. In my opinion, instead, it is an example to bring back to light. The album may contain errors, may have abrupt changes in metronome, but it has the peculiarity of being entirely played and sung by human beings, without the aid of computers or advanced techniques. Modern records seem to be played by maniacally perfect musicians, true precision machines, but from time to time listening to their concerts may give some unpleasant surprises. 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.
This work can be appreciated even by those who disdain extreme metal.
Tracklist Lyrics Samples and Videos
01 The Exorcist (04:52)
Possessed by evil force satan's wrath will kill
He will take your soul cast you to hell
Demons dog domain keeping me insane
Evil curse my soul Burning away
Satan's hell will burn terrored cries are heard
Ever lasting eternity warriors of hell
Unleashed men of sin hatred hell within
Sinners hate will die the exorcist
I can see the light I don't want to burn
Help me save my soul let me live
Your curse is not my fear demons within me hear
I will escape your wrath 666
This is not my way doom, sorrow for eternity
Lights shine below in hell forever burning
Words of insanity scream out the final plea
Evil voices scream out help me
Demons in my body gone sicken thoughts left beyond
Haunted by evil memories nightmares and sin
My mind is burnt and black shadowed no way back
Fear of living in hell axed my mind
Memories held within satan's gone in sin
Grasping to relieve the pain scared for life
Exorcism takes control beneath my body help my soul
Save my soul from evil hell your spell is lost
02 Pentagram (03:34)
There's a sacred city not far from here
Where the earth is bare and the sky is black
Tormented souls are stricken with fear
And the sinners all know that there's no way back
Flying to the pentagram
There's a lot you'll want to see
Sacrifice the crying Ram
And drink the blood with me
Giant kingdom down below
Where the lord of darkness sits and waits
For a poor lost mortal to come in
When he lowers down his gates
Prison of death where time stands still
Forever life of pain
Walking dead assault and kill
The people would be slain
You can't escape your destiny
So take my hand and fly
To an evil land of fantasy
Inside of satan's eye
04 Evil Warriors (03:44)
When you wake up in the night and you stare into the dark
Your eyes will scream for sight evil left its mark
You'll be looking all above looking all around
But if you want to see them you have to look down
Tortured by thoughts stricken with fear
Blasted to hell the end is near
As you wait upon your fate your throat is full of pain
And when you try to scream you know it's all in vain
Nothing you can change destiny is complete
Silence seems so strange as you start to feel the heat
Forever to burn infinite pain
Demons of darkness warriors domain
You think you're so secure protected from above
Gaze into the hell fire I know you'll fall in love
They'll hunt you down at night your Flesh is what they want
Your eyes will scream for sight when Evil comes to haunt
Cursed by nightmares when you sleep
They'll cut your throat and blood will seep
Fighting through the mist forever trapped in hell
Crushed with satan's fist you can't escape his spell
Sanity will pass reality is just a word
Evil does its task with its mighty sword
Open your eyes and die by the hand of mass
Escape and you'll defy my long awaited grasp
They want to steal your soul death will steal away
Your wrongs will take their toll below the crust you'll lay
Spell has cast no hope forgotten thoughts of good
Your neck awaits a rope and things go like they should
Enslaved in forever torment blood drips from your eyes
There is no way to repent from your wicked lies
Blades of metal cut off your head
Served as a meal satan is fed
Masters of evil blasters of hell
No one can stop them we're under their spell
Red eyes are glowing with you in sight
And if your knowing scream out in fright
05 Seven Churches (03:15)
Seven churches down in hell
In the land where satan fell
Vows of satan's sacred scripts
Bring out the evil from its crypts
Seven Churches
Seven Priests
Seven Hearts on which they feast
Watch the gods, take revenge
Rot in hell, For your sins
Sacrifice, to the sky
Terrors strikes, you will die
Taste the blood of the dead
As the sky turns to red
Rot in heaven rot in hell
Reach for the land from which he fell
Seven bibles
Seven crosses
Seven saints mourn for their losses
Watch the gods take revenge
Rot in hell for your sins
Sacrifice to the sky
Terror strikes, you will die
Holy water turned to blood
destroy the earth devils flood
pounding death from my hands
Spreading satan through the lands
Seven Prayers
Seven Bells
Seven Churches rise from hell
Watch the gods take revenge
Rot in hell for your sins
Sacrifice to the sky
Terror strikes, You will die!
07 Holy Hell (04:12)
Holy hell,
Death to us
Satan fell,
Unholy lust
Devil's water,
Starts to flood god is slaughtered,
Drink his blood
Our bonding,
Trust is at hand go we must,
To satan's land
Prey for death
And cry for life
Reapers breath will breath new life
Satan's child,
He is born
And to death,
He is sworn
Days of hate
And days of pain
Andless term of satan's reign
Endless dreams,
In the night eternal sleep,
Eternal fright
Defiled crosses,
Oh black mass
Satan's reigns,
Me at last
All of heaven,
All of earth
You'll meet your god
Chained to torment,
Chained to pain like a dog
Evil days
And evil nights are black as death
Hearts of sinners,
Hearts of stone reapers breath
There was blood
And there was pain ecstasy
Rage of magic,
Rage of witches sorcery
Fell the power,
Feel the heat down below
Kill the people,
Kill them dead take their soul
Blackened masses,
Blackened crosses ritual
Cut the heads,
Cut the throats take the fall
08 Twisted Minds (05:10)
Twisting my mind,
Insane ripping out your brain,
You're slain
Grieving the sunset,
Terror and your last breath is nearer
Revenge!
Draining your soul out,
Bloodies awaiting the final sentence
Grasping Your last piece of mind slip into madness,
Our kind
Revenge!
Life is strange,
It's one big name live or dead,
Is all the same
Hidden secrets,
Inside my head decaying bodies my blade is red
Rotting world so full of clones sickening
Feeling inside my bones
Madness creeps up from behind sanity is drained,
My state of mind
Mentally insane,
Maladjusted minds lunacy within,
Evil twisted minds
Cast my wishes from the grave
Below the earth my body enslaved
Cults of people down in hell skulls
Are splitting from their spell
Forgotten souls arise at night
Rule the world with unchallenged might
The sun sets into the sea of blood
Chanting satan as they drone
Mentally insane,
Maladjusted minds lunacy within,
Evil twisted minds
Twisting my mind,
Insane ripping out your brain,
You're slain
Grieving the sunset,
Terror and your last breath is nearer
Revenge!
Draining your soul out,
Bloodies awaiting the final sentence
Grasping Your last piece of mind slip into madness,
Our kind
Revenge!
09 Fallen Angel (03:58)
Decieving angel full of hate
Outcasts will rebel
Below the crust, the dark kingdom
Also known as Hell
Fallen angel distrusts god
Exiled down below
His burning lust to power all
Starts his own domain
Poisoned minds, evil plague
Wicked shrines, where you beg
Merciless angel fell
Soul won't rest, into hell
Flames of fury burning hot
Glowing in his eyes
Down below forever rot
Until his soul can rise
Hellsent souls become his slaves
Working against all
Bringing pain the masters raves
Lucifer they call
Poisoned minds, evil plague
Wicked shrines, where you beg
Merciless angel fell
Soul won't rest, into hell
10 Death Metal (03:14)
Arise from the dead and attack from the grave
The killing won't stop until first light
We'll bring you to hell because we want to enslave
Soul will be frozen with fright
We'll break through the crust, leave from our crypts
Protected by eternal life
Lay down the laws from our satanic scripts
Bringing you nothing but strife
Death metal!
Ruling your cities, controlling your towns
Entrapped in your worst nightmare
Piercing your ears with the horrible sound
Casting my elusive stare
Lucifer laughs, his needs are fulfilled
The Flames are now burning hot
Bodies are burning, the people are killed
Torture the reason we fought
Death Metal!
Kill Them Pigs!
Now we take over and rule by death metal
Enjoy our long wanted reign
Blood's what we want and we won't settle
Until we drive you insane
Attacking the young and killing the old
Bleeding with every heart beat
Darkness has feelen and your soul is sold
Claws will dig into your meat
When the sun doesn't rise and the day is like night
Know that your life is at its end
Rendered helpless so scream out fright
Death metal came in the wind
Death metal!
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By Snake97
From the band's name, it's clear how religious our four guys were at the time.
Seven Churches is an excellent album that I highly recommend to fans of extreme metal.
