How can you call a band that releases a new album after 30 years recess? Resurrected? Revenant? Or this comeback happens because of more mundane reasons? All of these can be told about Possessed, but none of this right for 100%.
A little bit of history for those, who probably don’t know about this band: Possessed was formed in 1983 in San Francisco. Their vocalist Jeff Becerra was one of the first who started to sing with growling. This, with the fast paced playing made Possessed very recognizable and their first album Seven Churches became legendary. Today the band justly considered as one of the founding bands of Death Metal. A year later Beyond The Gates was released. The album was less successful, mostly because of bad producing. Nevertheless, the band goes to the US tour and later they release EP The Eyes Of Horror, which was produced by Joe Satriani.
That year a tragic incident happened to vocalist Jeff Becerra and he was paralyzed from the waist down. Nonetheless, he got over himself and got back to the normal life: finished a college, married and became a father. Also in 2007 Jeff with Sadistic Intent members performed at Wacken Open Air under the name Possessed. And now the time has come for a new album Revelations Of Oblivion.
I guess, I need to say sorry about such long overview, but I just needed to do it. Because the release of this album, as I see it, it’s not an attempt to use a once famous name, not a reason for 325th “farewell” tour or some other shit. It’s about overcoming, about lifework, which pulls you out of the deepest depression and gives you strength to move forward, no matter what.
But let’s get back to the album. Of course, lot of metalheads had some doubts about material that Possessed can deliver after 30 years. But the first single “No More Room In Hell” shows greatly what: brutal riff, ferocious drums and fast pace. Actually, that’s what Death Metal needs to be. Jeff’s vocal also aggressive and rough, like there weren’t those 30 years. In “Dominion” and “The Word” some Thrash Metal elements can be heard, although “Ritual” and “Graven” are typical old school Death Metal songs: Emilio Marquez‘s drums attack with blast beats, Daniel Gonzalez and Claudeos Creamer‘s guitars have dense, meaty sounds with hellish tremolos; Robert Cardenas‘ bass also sounds great.
Revelations Of Oblivion is a very high paced album that will not give any break to the listener. The only song where pace is going down a little but is “Demon”. However it can be called “slow” or even “middle paced” because it is changing several times during the song. Grim intro “Chant Of Oblivion” and outro “Temple Of Samael” also worth to mention: they turn this album into completed work of art and immerse listener to a dark atmosphere greatly.
Like I said above: the only existence of this release already tells a lot. But beside this Revelations Of Oblivion is a very qualitative work, perfectly played, recorded and mastered. There are no some self-iterations or ideas crisis, on the contrary! And one more thing: from interviews with Jeff I found out that the band prepares some material for the next album. That means that life wins, no matter what!
Revelations Of Oblivion was released on May, 10 via Nuclear Blast Records.
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