Music

Under the moniker of Alcest, French multi-instrumentalist Neige explores what happens when heavily melodic progressions and uplifting atmospheric effects are mixed with isolationist black metal je ne sais quoi. The result? Souvenirs D'un Autre Monde (Profound Lore Records), Alcest's unexpectedly profound and affecting full-length debut.

Where many black metal records tunnel inward to the dark centers of their authors, Souvenirs D'un Autre Monde (translated to Memories of Another World) looks outward and upward, encouraging the listener to release its grasp on reality and float into the ether. Nice. –Brad Angle

In 1985, San Francisco's Possessed released their now-legendary death metal debut Seven Churches.

Not only did Seven Churches' blend of thrash riffs, grunting vocals and blistering leads send shockwaves of excitement throughout the underground tape-trading scene of the day, but the album's final track, "Death Metal"—and Possessed's 1984 demo of the same name—just may have given an official name to the genre that had already spawned such American bands as Death, Morbid Angel and Master.

Right-click the song names below to download each track.

Months before Seven Churches hit the stores, cassettes of Death Metal had been spreading throughout the extreme metal community. While the tape typically traded contained four tracks: 1) "Death Metal," 2) "Evil Warriors," 3) "Burning in Hell" and 4) "Fallen Angel," the original self-produced demo did not contain "Fallen Angel." "Fallen Angel" was reportedly recorded during the Death Metal session, but did not make the official demo, because it was banged out quickly at the end of the recording session. But, through the tape-trading process, "Fallen Angel" became tacked on to the end of Death Metal.

While the classic Possessed lineup is universally considered to be bassist/vocalist Jeff Becerra, guitarist Larry Lalonde (who went on to gain notoriety as a member of Primus), guitarist Mike Torrao and drummer Mike Sus, the lineup for the Death Metal demo was Beccera, Torrao, Sus and guitarist Brian Montana.

After Seven Churches, Possessed released another full-length studio album, 1986's Beyond the Gates, and an EP the following year called The Eyes of Horror (produced by Joe Satriani, oddly enough). The group disbanded soon after, and in 1989 singer Jeff Becerra was shot while being robbed on his way home and left paralyzed from the waist down. Although confined to a wheelchair, Becerra is still planning to appear onstage with a reunited Possessed at the Wacken Open Air festival in Wacken, Germany, on August 2-4.

For more info on Possessed, check out myspace.com/jeffbecerra and myspace.com/666possessed.