Possessed

Biography

Possessed is an American death metal band from the San Francisco Bay Area, often cited as one of the very first in the genre. Formed in 1983 around singer and bassist Jeff Becerra, the group pushed the emerging thrash sound toward greater darkness, speed and violence. Its debut, Seven Churches (1985), is regularly regarded as a founding act of death metal, with cavernous vocals and an aggression unheard of at the time. Beyond the Gates (1986) extended that vision. The band is frequently credited with popularizing the very term death metal through an eponymous track. Despite a brief initial career, Possessed holds a legendary place in extreme metal history and has inspired countless followers.