Possession (Belgium) - His Best Deceit EP / Anneliese 7"

This was supposed to be a single review, but it's turned into a double review instead. I'm not complaining and neither should you be. Belgian black/death metallers Possession awoke in late 2012 and released their debut EP, His Best Deceit a year later on tape via Iron Bonehead Productions and on CD via Invictus Productions. Then in April 2014. the two-track 7" Anneliese was released, this time as a co-release between the same two labels.

Amongst the many black/death bands that are growing in stature, Possession have been received very passionately by fans of the genre, with both His Best Deceit and Annelise selling out or close to it and having to be repressed. Couple that with live appearances with bands like Denial Of God and Mgla, plus a split with Gospel Of The Horns in the works, there looks to be no time for rest.

His Best Deceit Tape/CD

Tracklist:-

1. Possession
2. The Trust In Cain
3. His Best Deceit
4. Necromancer (Sepultura cover)

Opening with a chilling intro that more than befits their name, the opening bars of Possession are filled with haunting choral singing and blood-curdling screams. The intro and overall song length brings to mind originators like Celtic Frost and Venom. The music itself is raw and fast, with instrumentation that more than compliments the deranged shrieks and growls. The solo towards the end hails subtle thrash influences too.

The Truth of Cain is a more urgent and bestial number. The crashing cymbals that light it up, rage throughout the song and provide the perfect backdrop to Possession’s intense death metal. Darkness courses through it, as it does no the whole demo but when Possession settle down into a controlled groove, they are equally as enthralling. 

The soundstage of this demo’s title-track is as thick and engaging as you’d like. There is no clean or modern production involved, just raw old-school venom mixed with passion for the genre. It’s one of the most accomplished black/death demos I’ve heard ever, period. 

Covering Sepultura’s Necromancer, that appeared on both their very first split with Overdose and the subsequent EP Bestial Devastation makes complete sense. Those were the rawest and heaviest days of Sepultura and that is what Possession are paying homage too here. They make the song their own too, while not twisting or butchering it. It’s every bit as manic and evil as the original. I wish Sep would go back to those days!

Stream it here via Iron Bonehead Productions - 





Anneliese 7"

Tracklist - 

1. Anneliese
2. Apparition

The Anneliese 7” was released earlier this year and here, Possession contain the same intense guitar sound that made Bolzer stand out for me, when I first heard them. By that, I mean the heaviness and genuine feel that it projects within their music. A-side Anneliese sees the band pushing more toward black metal. The song’s tempo switches between mid and fast paced sections, with the thrash elements from His Best Deceit still present.

B-side Apparition follows with a kind of stomp that I wasn’t expecting. A slightly more modern addition to their sound, it’s only brief but doesn’t sound out of place. Their song-writing can’t be questioned either and it’s succinct nature leaves the song feeling almost catchy. Who would’ve thought that!

In a day and age where extreme music fans seek out and/or are bombarded by new bands every day, it’s exciting to be able to sit down and listen to one band that genuinely embodies what we all look for. True passion, emotion and enjoyment. I may have been slightly late in saying this, but Possession are brilliant and worth all the praise they’ve received so far. 

Stream Annaliese via Invictus Productions here -



You can purchase both releases as downloads from the bandcamp pages above.

Physical copies can be purchased from Iron Bonehead Productions here (when they're back from Nuclear War Now!) - http://ironbonehead.de/shop/ and from Invictus Productions here - http://www.invictusproductions.net/shop/.

Possession Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/hisbestdeceit
Iron Bonehead Productions Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/IronBoneheadProductions
Invictus Productions Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/InvictusProductions