PYRE: "THE EXORCIST"
Kicking things off with one of Possessed's most recognizable tracks is Russian death metal band Pyre. This version sounds a bit more mechanical, due mostly to the tone of the guitars. It is also a bit on the faster, more aggressive side. It sounds barely restrained, threatening to veer completely out of control at a moment's notice.
DECEASE: "PENTAGRAM"
My wife will be thrilled that I discovered another Romanian band (she has significant Romanian ancestry) to go along with Negura Bunget. Decease is another band whose aggression and raw sound threaten to steer them off course. The vocals are definitely interesting, sounding like a man with a mouthful of whiskey spluttering the lyrics.
VIOLENTOR: "BURNING IN HELL"
Violentor is an Italian thrash metal band, but this song has a decidedly hardcore style which the original version did not have. This is mostly present in the shouted, punkish vocal style provided and the frenetic pace of the song.
BESTIALITY: "EVIL WARRIORS"
Polish blackened thrash metal band Bestiality give a blistering version of "Evil Warriors". The vocals are delivered in more of a blackened rasp and hitting the shrieks on the offbeat of the drums gives the track something of an unstable, bewildering sound.
HELL PATROL: "SEVEN CHURCHES"
Tackling the title track is the Polish militant blackened thrash metal band Hell Patrol, who seem to actually pick up speed as the song continues. The thrash break kind of gets a bit lost in the shuffle. It's there, but the band is going so fast, it just flies by.
SEPTORY: "SATAN'S CURSE"
Septory is another Russian death metal band with some rabid ferocity. This one sounds like a tank rolling through a battlefield, just some crushing riffs. They do something a little strange in the middle with a slightly more melodic section with some shining guiter lines and blazing solos that I do not remember in the original version.
TERROR STRIKER: "HOLY HELL"
Another Russian band, Terrör Striker is another band that combines black and thrash metal into an unholy maelstrom. They seem a bit more restrained, but in more of an industrial machine style. The band reminds me of Devastator in the way, jackhammer riffing in factory precision.
Січгарт: "TWISTED MINDS"
Січгарт is a Ukrainian thrash metal band, and no, I do not know what their name means, or how to say it. This is another one that almost has a hardcore feel to it, based mostly on the guitar tone and the snarled vocals. It is also one of my favorite tracks on the release.
GROND: "FALLEN ANGEL"
Yet another Russian death metal band, tackling one of the more sinister-sounding tracks on the album. They definitely steer into the ominous side of this song, dressing the opening chiming with tons of evil atmosphere. The decayed vocals and creepy keyboards certainly help make this a very imposing-sounding track. This is another of my favorites from the release.
CASTRUM: "DEATH METAL"
Ukrainian band Castrum is a bit more on the technical side of things that most of the above positively brutal bands. Not that they do not bring their own brutality to the mix. They have also sped up the song significantly and added some harsh sneering vocals of their own.
REGRESSIVE: "SWING OF THE AXE"
I am surprised to see this song here. This track was not on Seven Churches, though it was on the prior demo. So it kind of breaks up the flow a little bit. Not that this is a bad song, and the Lithuanian thrashers do it justice. It just sounds a little more thrash metal-based than the others, and would fit better on an Overkill release than Possessed.
There is some damn good stuff on here. I think the Grond track is my favorite. There really is no weak track here, which is consistent with the album to which it is paying tribute. The last track is a little odd, but it is pretty decent, so I can overlook the fact that it is added on.
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