Possessed - Revelations of Oblivion (2019)

There have been endless reunion albums out there, from bands both successful and obscure, but the return of Possessed had to be one of the most anticipated. Possibly its because they had never really had a lot of input during their early run, two albums and an EP, and the legend those generated became so disproportionately popular. Not for no reason, mind you, since they influenced multitudes of black, death, and thrash metal bands today, and are even occasionally cited as the originators of that middle category. But this is one that a lot of folks were very much looking forward to, especially after hearing the samples, and I've gotta say that Jeff Becera and his new crew deliver on all fronts, a record that might not hold up nostalgia-wise against its predecessors, but might honestly be the most structurally and technically the best piece of music the devil ever spawned through their brains and limbs.

After a tasteful and brief, cautionary symphonic intro which serves the purpose of placing the listener into a space not unlike the Omen films, they blaze straight through you with "No More Room in Hell", a tune that will quash all disbelievers with its evil proto-death metal tremolo thrashing and then the tortured Jeff Becera vocals which sound INCREDIBLE, as if the decades between this and the The Eyes of Horror EP just never happened. Not only does he meet the mark, but he puts an even more ghastly brand to them by honoring all the vocalists he influences with his own slightly more guttural accents and some sustained growls which are also quite cool. The guitar work is on fire, obviously more complex and lead-heavy than the old material, simply because a lot of the progeny of these influences have developed over the decades, and Daniel Gonzalez and Claudeous Creamer are no bullshit talents. The Emilio Marquez drumming is much more intense than on, say, Seven Churches, and that also makes some sense as they're returning to a world where things are just more intense.

This record is dominated by those faster-picked rhythms, which have the intricacy of some of the evil riffs you'll remember from later 80s Kreator or the Pestilence debut, and that's where the material is the strongest, especially where they whip into a moderately paced breakdown or a great, memorable lead. However, there are plenty of more mid-speed chunkier parts reminiscent of Beyond the Gates and tunes like "Demon" which play around with some newer ideas (at least for this band). And the track list is quite deep, granted you've got that symphonic intro and the "Temple of Samael" acoustic/dark ambient instrumental closer, but they rifle out ten original scorchers and for Possessed, that feels substantial (again, as famous as they got, they never put out a ton to begin with). The production is super clean, but for some reason it doesn't seem to leech away from the sinister feel of the songwriting which is entirely in line with where they were in the 80s. The bass is decent but maybe that could stand out a little more, otherwise the rhythms, leads, drums and Jeff all sound formidable.

Very few flaws...perhaps it does seem a little too mechanical and 'perfect' in places, especially when you listen through the entirety, but I think this is just an illusion created by the band's devotion to getting it right when they finally burned through their re-entry. Revelations in Oblivion is an unquestionable triumph, one that I'm not sure we'll ever hear replicated, and one that, for me, lives up to the first wave of their material, as heretical as that statement might sound. I mean I definitely prefer it to Beyond the Gates, but maybe it won't ever reach that cult appreciation of Seven Churches. Either way, I listen to so many bands whose style is partly derived from this one (alongside Slayer, Celtic Frost, etc), that I was absolutely thrilled to have the genuine article back in such fine form, even if it's just the one original member.

Epic Win [9/10]

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Possessed - Beyond the Gates (1986)

I've often pondered why Possessed would never develop into the powerhouse popularity of their Californian peers Exodus, Slayer or Metallica through the 80s and beyond, but the answer might very well lie in their sophomore outing, Beyond the Gates. Don't get me wrong, I like this record quite a bit, but I can't help but feel that the band had toned their sound down ever so slightly, and much of the raw, ripping appeal of the debut is lost in translation. In 1986, albums like Reign in Blood or Darkness Descends were flirting with faster, more aggressive aesthetics while Master of Puppets was stealing the spotlight with its impeccable songwriting, so it was the wrong time to put on the breaks, and in the long term, it might have cost Becerra and company the race (even if they retain their cult icon status).

That said, Beyond the Gates is still worth hearing and probably owning, if you've got any predilection for occult or horror fueled death/thrash. It's no surprise that Possessed are considered one of the forebears of the 'death metal' genre. Not only did their debut have a song by that title, but Jeff's vocals were ghoulish, a massive inspiration for Florida luminaries like Chuck Schuldiner of Death. The guitars here are pretty straight thrash/speed metal though, with a bit of Slayer-like construction similar to Hell Awaits or Reign in Blood, and the ruddy, muddy tonal constitution that the lesser known Maryland band Indestroy would cop for their s/t debut the following year. Larry Lalonde is nowhere near as eclectic as he'd become for the bands Blind Illusion and Primus, but he and Mike Torrao deliver a firm barrage of dirty speed licks and knifing lead sequences which, while unmemorable on their own, thread a natural counterbalance against the hammering backdrop.

The vocals are not quite so grisly as Seven Churches, and the guitars never so belligerent and bloodied as on a "Burning in Hell" or "Satan's Curse", but it's nonetheless a consistent album which revels in its subject matter. The intro is beautiful, almost like an 80s horror b-movie theme before it cedes to the bludgeoning of "The Heretic", but "Tribulation" is the first real track of note with its faster paced guitars which had a similar momentum to what Metallica were doing at this time. This is even more the case with "March to Die", which charges straight into the great, mid-paced "Phantasm" with its solid verses and mystical, Eygptian breakdowns. Other killers include the bristling "No Will to Live", the writhing leads of "The Beasts of the Apocalypse", and the choppy, mudslinging brigade of "Restless Dead".

There are a few tracks that seem less interesting, like the sloppy "Beyond the Gates" itself or the chugging footnote "Dog Fight", but in general this is a highly satisfying experience with a lot of reverb on the vocals and guitars that place it straight into its mid-80s era. Personally, I'm a huge fan of that sound, but I can understand how some might be turned off that it exhibits less of the brash and repulsive hostility of its precursor. The lyrics are all fairly simplistic dissertations on the typical themes that were also being explored by Slayer, Dark Angel, Venom, and so forth, but they do the trick, and there weren't a hell of a lot of bands doing more than that in the period. Ultimately, Beyond the Gates doesn't earn the Gold medal for Possessed, and would easily be subjugated in any throwdown with Bonded by Blood, Ride the Lightning, Darkness Descends and so forth, but it's a reliable enough ride into Hell.

Verdict: Win [8.25/10] (revelation unorthodox)

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Possessed - The Eyes of Horror EP (1987)

Seven Churches and Beyond the Gates have both earned Possessed a fanatical cult following, considered seminal works of 80s occult thrash metal and pioneering releases that led the genre into its next evolution (death metal). But The Eyes of Horror EP, which followed, is often left out of the conversation. Boasting a tighter coordination and cleaner production than their full-lengths, the five tracks on this release exhibit what Possessed might have become had their career forged on, solid thrash with some similarities to then-albums by Hallows Eve (in particular, Monument's guitar tone sounds a lot like this recording). The EP was recorded by guitar guru Joe Satriani.

"Confessions" begins with a forceful, grinding thrash rhythm swathed in Jeff Becera's charnel vocal tone. It's pretty memorable and vile, but you'll notice right away it's a bit polished up from the band's origins. "Eyes of Horror" is a slower groove with some nice rhythm work beneath the leads, and an unforgettable first verse (though the lyrics are admittably pretty weak).

I believe only the real
Walk through life on what I feel
Living my life from day to day
What's wrong, what's right, who's to say

The title track is the creepiest and best on the album, with a death metal visage implied among its churning guitars and quite a few catchy riffs. I really enjoy the chorus vocals, with the sinister echo. "Swing of the Axe" is a vicious track that recalls Slayer's Show No Mercy, and the final "Storm In My Mind" opens with some nice leadwork and busts out a nice mid-paced thrashing rhythm later on. The material here might feel more focused, but that steals away nothing from its dark nature. The lyrics seemed to be moving in a more personal direction, but the ability to write memorable, ominous rhythms is untouched. Most probably have this EP tacked on to their copy of Beyond the Gates, but it's worth hearing to any fan of evil 80s thrash metal, even those rare souls who don't care for the band's legendary full-lengths.

Highlights: Confessions, Eyes of Horror, Swing of the Axe

Verdict: Win [8/10] (sin after sin, your brains are crushed in)

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