Welcome to another edition of From My Collection. The other night, yours truly finally got around to seeing death metal godfathers Possessed. I know that I should’ve seen them by now at *insert festival here*. I’m also a stubborn son of a gun who waits until all of these bands eventually play Chicago, because that’s the perk of living in the third largest market in the country. Anyways, the show was ripping, and the setlist was a pretty solid mix of songs off Seven Churches, The Eyes of Horror, and their most recent outing, Revelations of Oblivion. Yet only one song was played off their sophomore album, Beyond the Gates, “Tribulation”. It got me thinking: Why does NOBODY talk about this album? Is it because Seven Churches is THAT iconic? Surely, nobody in their right mind believes this album is “bad”, or even “mediocre”…right? Today, we revisit Possessed’s sophomore outing, Beyond the Gates, and explain why this monster of an album should be as revered as its predecessor.
Coming up in the same Bay Area scene that spawned Exodus, Slayer, and countless other now legendary bands, Possessed gained infamy in 1984 with their debut demo, Death Metal, which subsequently coined the genre of the same name. In these early days, the terms “black metal”, “death metal”, “thrash metal”, “power metal”, and so forth, were used interchangeably to describe any band that came off as heavier than what was being peddled by the major labels (i.e. Priest, Maiden, Ozzy, etc.) That said, Possessed more than coined death metal; they played it.
Their unique brand of breakneck riffs, high speed drumming, lo-fi production, and most importantly, growled vocals, established the template for what would eventually become one of metal’s longest running and prolific subgenres. Furthermore, their demo would inspire a band on the opposite side of the country to change their name from Mantas to Death, embracing “death metal” as a full fledged sonic approach. The rest, as they say, is history, but more on “Evil” Chuck Schuldiner (who always considered Possessed to be the first death metal band) another day.
Come the release of 1985’s Seven Churches, anyone in the underground who wasn’t familiar with this new sound known as death metal was fully initiated. One couldn’t help but acknowledge the brute force of anthems like “The Exorcist”, “Fallen Angel”, the title track, and of course, “Death Metal”. Between this album and Slayer’s Hell Awaits, death metal was officially here to stay. But while Slayer would move onto bigger things, signing a major label deal and recording in an actual studio, Possessed would remain the underground torchbearers of all things heavy and deadly.
By 1986, the band was ready to strike while the iron was hot, capitalizing on their newfound notoriety with their second album, Beyond the Gates. Produced by Rods drummer Carl Canedy, many blame his involvement with the album for the band’s attempt at a more “polished” effort, both musically and production-wise. I couldn’t disagree more. Besides, it was Canedy who kicked Exciter’s ass into high gear on Violence and Force (1984), but I digress. Any signs of refinement or maturity were likely a result of Possessed’s evolution as musicians, but a wimp-out this is not. Every song on here smokes, and I’ll go as far to say some go toe to toe with those on Seven Churches.
Much like Seven Churches did with “The Exorcist” and its accompanying intro, Beyond the Gates opens with an eerie, atmospheric instrumental piece before detonating into “Heretic”. My favorite cut off this album, “Heretic” boasts all the tropes that made Seven Churches an instant classic. Guitarists Larry LaLonde and Mike Torrao riff away with thrashing intensity and deadly intention, drummer Mike Torrao bashes away on his kit, especially those unforgettable toms, and vocalist Jeff Beccera growls with the fury of a demon. Add to that those infernal lyrics (“The prophecies that I will tell, will make you sell your soul to hell”) and you’ve got some essential early death metal.
The attack continues with the pummeling “Tribulation”. While this too stays true to the early death metal sound, there is a prominent breakdown passage that’s pure thrash, as well as distinct guitar and drum flourishes that can be described as, dare I say “technical”? Now at no point on here are Possessed displaying the musical chops of what was to follow with Voivod, Coroner, etc., but one could see how later technically inclined death/thrash acts would draw inspiration from a track like this.
If flashy musicianship was the unintentional focal point of “Tribulation”, then pure, unadulterated riffage is the main attraction of “March to Die”. Some might view this as a straightforward thrasher akin to the sound that would follow on The Eyes of Horror EP, but the dense production and Becerra’s hellish vocals keep it on the deadly side. Contrasting this is the mesmerizing side A closer, “Phantasm”. Perhaps it’s the midtempo delivery and cryptic lyrics, but I’ve always heard shades of Mercyful Fate in the instrumentation and delivery of this one. Those riffs weave over each other in an eerie manner, reminiscent of Denner and Shermann.
As we flip over to side B, we’re greeted by the lengthiest song on this outing, “No Will to Live”. Despite its nearly 7 minute runtime, this song is far less musically ambitious than “Phantasm” and even “Tribulation”, resorting instead for a “go for the throat” pure death approach. The riffs, rhythms, and chaotic transitions from one section to the next are nothing short of brutal. I can’t help but think a young Schuldiner was taking notes before penning a similar composition in “Spiritual Healing”.
The album’s title track is a nasty death-thrasher that alternates between breakneck speed and bludgeoning breakdowns tailormade for moshing maniacs. The riffs are perfect for air guitaring, and accentuated by that passage in the second half that evokes the arcane insanity Morbid Angel would embody a few short years later. “The Beasts of the Apocalypse”, meanwhile, lives up to its name; a beast of a rager whose riffing is borderline punkish at times, but without sacrificing its lethal bite. LaLonde tears up a storm with those solos too, as he does throughout the bulk of this album.
My second favorite cut on here, “Seance”, is another tune like “Heretic” that sounds like a lost Seven Churches cut. The lead riff is memorable as all hell and Beccera’s vocal delivery runs the gamut from shrieks to growls. The chaos and hellfire are ever-prevalent, building up with tension during the unsettling breakdown passage. The band’s contrast of “death” and “thrash” sections certainly add a layer of depth throughout. The speedometer pushes overload on “Restless Dead”, testing the limits of stereos and necks alike, while closing instrumental “Dog Fight”, despite being an unnecessary outro, lays down the thrash hammer one last time.
While it didn’t receive the same fanfare as Seven Churches, Beyond the Gates kept the Possessed train rolling and further expanded upon the death metal sound. In 1987, the band embarked upon a tour with fellow Bay Area beasts Dark Angel and released their classic EP, The Eyes of Horror. Not long after, Possessed folded altogether. An early 90s attempt to reboot the band without Becerra failed. However, come 2007, Becerra reformed Possessed with a new lineup. As of 2023, they continue to tour the globe with no signs of slowing down. Here’s to many more years of Possessed music and shows, with hopefully a brighter light shone upon Beyond the Gates.