METALLIAN - Possessed

Seven Churches – 1985 - Combat
Beyond The Gates – 1986 – Combat
Agony In Paradise – 1987 – Agonia
Revelations Of Oblivion – 2019 – Nuclear Blast

Members

Vocals

Blizzard>>Jeff Becerra>>Blind Illusion, Side Effect, Repossessed, Metal Against Coronavirus – Blind Illusion, Side Effect, Repossessed, Metal Against Coronavirus>>JEFF BECERRA>>Repossessed, Metal Against The Coronavirus

Guitar

Mike Torrao>>Infanticide, Iconklast, InACage – Blizzard>>Larry LaLonde [Reed Lawrence LaLonde]>>Blind Illusion, Primus, No Forcefield, Serj Tanakian And The F.C.C. – Nailshitter, Occisas, Gruesome, Master, Maruta, Exhumed, Create A Kill, Proscriptor McGovern’s Apsu>>DANIEL GONZALEZ>>Gruesome, Master, Maruta, Exhumed, Create A Kill, Proscriptor McGovern’s Apsu – Mucus Membrane, Girth, Serpent & Seraph, Niviane, Dragonlord, From Hell>>CLAUDEOUS CREAMER>>Mucus Membrane, Niviane, From Hell

Bass

Blizzard>>Jeff Becerra>>Blizzard, Blind Illusion, Sub-Zero, Misery – Entety, Coffin Texts, Engrave, Agent Steel, Saprophagous, Masters Of Metal, Malice>>ROBERT CARDENAS>>Engrave, Coffin Texts, Masters Of Metal

Drum

Desecration>>Mike Sus>>Desecration – Brainstorm, Sadistic Intent, Engrave, Asesino, Coffin Texts>>EMILIO MARQUEZ>>Engrave, Asesino, Coffin Texts

History & Biography

Possessed, the fathers and founders of death metal came together in 1983 and only lasted four years unfortunately. The members did not get along personally and musically and the pioneers disbanded, but the act’s legacy remains unmatched.

Guitarist Mike Torrao and drummer Mike Sus founded the band in San Francisco in 1983. The short-term monicker was Deviation. A Barry Fisk was the singer for a short duration before killing himself. Bassist Jeff Andrews formerly of Exodus was the first bassist. Vocalist Jeff Becerra and second guitarist Brian Montana, later of underground band Abnormal, were in next. The band recorded and released a demo called Death Metal in 1984. The group opened for Metallica and separately Slayer and Exodus. The band later opened for Exodus and Megadeth. Metal Blade added the band’s Swing Of The Axe as the kick-off track to the Metal Massacre VI compilation in 1985. Apparently, members of Exodus had passed on the Possessed demo to Metal Blade. The band opened for Legacy and Death Angel. Montana left and was replaced by Becerra’s former Blizzard band-mate and school-mate Larry Lalonde. The group opened for the local act Exodus alongside Dayglo Abortions in 1985, obtained management by Debbie Abono who was the mother of Larry’s then girlfriend. The novice manager would later pick up Vio-lence, Exodus, Broken Hope and others. The band signed with Combat Records from the East Coast of the USA and issued its Seven Churches album in 1985. A song was called Death Metal here. The intro to the album was borrowed from the theme to the movie Exorcist. This record was produced by Randy Burns who had worked with Megadeth and Suicidal Tendencies and would later work with Death. No listener was left undamaged. Thousands of posers were slayed. Torrao objected to the cover and the band’s logo, which in his estimation were “oriental.” His opinion was that, “there’s no one in this band that’s Oriental, so I don’t know where the fuckin’ catch was at.” The record was licensed to Roadrunner in Europe. Shows with Venom and Slayer ensued in 1986. The band flew to Montreal, Canada to play at the WWIII festival alongside the likes of Destruction, Voivod and Celtic Frost. Beyond The Gates was a softer affair, but by no means wimpy, and the band toured Europe with Voivod and Deathrow. This one was produced by Carl Canedy. Torrao felt it was a bad affair and that is mother should serve dinner on it. There was also a tour opening for Dark Angel in the USA. The group acted as openers for DRI, Dark Angel and Death Angel. Another tour with DRI followed. The band toured with Dark Angel. The band issued an EP, called The Eyes Of Horror, which was produced by Joe Satriani who was Lalonde’s guitar teacher. The band’s style had toned down by now. The act disbanded despite, or because of, its pioneering status and the members dispersed to both metal and funk pop bands – the latter being the case with LaLonde who landed in Primus to doodle on the guitar. Ironically, this EP was the band’s favourite and most satisfactory output. The members cited a lack of income and personal differences as the reason for the dissolution.

Jeff, who was running a concrete business, was shot during a store robbery and was bound to a wheelchair in 1989. Torrao reconstituted the band in 1991, but was the sole original member when the new demo came out. He was also on vocals. This tape was death metal, but not of the earlier Possessed variety. Mark Strassburg (Blind Illusion and Indestroy) played guitar. Bob Yost was on Bass and Walter Ryan on drums. Yost had been Mike’s roadie previously. Another demo was issued in 1993 and this line-up disbanded. The 1993 tape had a run of 500 copies with another 500 copies added. Agonia Records issued a live record stemming from a 1987 USA show in 2004. Brazil-based project Possuido Pelo Cao issued a copycat CD with a similar cover and typography to Seven Churches in 2006. It was called Semen Churches as a tribute to priests and their altar boys. This was reissued by Golden Core in 2024. This project also had a full-length called Possessed In The Circle Pit later.

Jeff and members of California-based Sadistic Intent decided to reform the band in 2007. This collaboration officially ended in 2011. Founder Mike Torrao asked Jeff not to use the name Possessed due to copyright reasons. The act appeared at Wacken in 2007 and also played in the USA nonetheless. Jeff joined Filmmakers Shane and Amy Bugbee in a country project called Repossessed. Not much happened, but members came and members went, compilations came and compilations went, the band played the Maryland Deathfest in 2009, a show commemorating the tenth anniversary of the death of Exodus’ Paul Baloff called Bonded By Baloff until the Nuclear Blast record of 2019, Revelations Of Oblivion. It was mastered by Peter Tagtgren of Hypocrisy. The band had signed a three-record deal in 2017. The line-up here was Becerra singing, guitarists Daniel Gonzalez and Claudeous Creamer, bassist Robert Cardenas and drummer Emilio Marquez. The band was booked for Quebec Deathfest in Canada in 2019. Live At Graspop 2012 was issued in 2020, but was an independent release. Possessed, The Black Moriah and Pestilence announced a tour of North America for March 2020. The tour was naturally cancelled. The Death Metal demo was re-issued by Vic Records in 2021. Jeff Becerra reported that he walked a few steps with help from new robotic legs in 2021. Nunslaughter and Possessed were on a joint trek in the autumn of 2023 when the tour was cancelled mid-way. Official reason: Possessed's tour bus broke down. Possessed was booked for Milwaukee Metal Festival 2024. The band, Testament and Kreator were touring North America in early autumn of 2024.

Suicidal Tendencies’ first album of 1983 featured a song called Possessed. It is a song about a man possessed by demons. Chuck Schuldiner of Death was a member of Possessed’s fan club.

Reviews

Interviews

Possessed