Possessed

Seven Churches (1985)

Possessed play a style that could be roughly equated to taking the best parts of Exodus (the fast, flowing sociopathic sequences) and the early aesthetic 'extremism' and simplicity of Venom (rough production, taboo imagery), yet in a less dullard, biker-rock fashion. What they do above this, although I wouldn't say it is a massive leap, is play with melodic ideas and tease us with a more 'chaotic' feel to song-writing. The album has flashes of what would become Death Metal aesthetic, but it keeps to pretty much a messily put together and sloppily played Thrash album (also with nods towards 'punk' and Motorhead) for the most part. The key to it is the spirit and 'dark' edge that is missing from most bands at that juncture of time in the mid 80s. There are a few 'bluesy' flourishes that hold this one back. Morbid Angel would later strip these, and add more interesting structural and melodic ideas (fluency). 

Three songs stand out most on this one in terms of quality. They are 'The Exorcist' (with the chilling counter-melody that runs through the midst of it like a frozen razor), 'Holy Hell' (with melodies that dance around each other like some strange ritual, in the mid-section, sinking deeper and deeper into death and insanity...) and 'Twisted Minds' (with its battle of wills style structure ie. call and answer, and refined resolution at the end of the piece). Some of this is a little too anthemic (ie the song 'Death Metal'). But overall, it's a fairly solid pre-cursor to the American Death Metal to come and therefore deserves its place in history.