Possessed - "Reanimation"

The godfathers of Death Metal themselves, my CADM brothers, the mighty Possessed! The new Possessed album "Reanimation" is brought to us courtesy of Redrum Records, which is owned and run by my NYDM brother Will Rahmer of Death Metal icons Mortician (Who once again did a grand job of violently shaking the foundation at Popeyes Pub this past September thanks to Lou Kemia Labs!). This CD/DVD combo is a collection of vintge performances from Possessed and features all the classic tunes we know and worship in various formats. Their "Death Metal" demo from 1984 kicks the audio side of this disk off and has obviously been remastered to give this old school recording a nice, clean & crisp feel. After that we are treated to a 4 song rehearsal from 1984 featuring 2 of my personal Possessed faves "Pentagram" and "Swing Of The Axe". Following the rehearsal are 2 live tracks from San Francisco in 1984 and then we are presented with a double shot of alternate mixes featuring "The Exorcist (Ashes Mix)" and "Confessions (Brutal Mix)". These alternate mixes showcase some great production value and are a nice addition to this brutal collection of tunes. A couple of live cuts from Ruthies Inn in 1985 are served up next and are followed by 4 live classics from San Diego in 1986 featuring "Seven Churches" and "Satan's Curse", another 2 of my personal favorite Possessed classics. The live cuts on this audio disk are very, very raw recordings. This is definitely old school bootleg quality material at it's finest. You can smell the leather and beer in the air as these tracks blaze from your speakers. A 2004 version of their classic tune "The Exorcist" closes out the audio side of this immense compilation and is definitely my favorite version of this tune by far as it actually begins with samples from the classic movie, slowly fading in with Reagan howling and screaming as the horned one has taken her over completely. Flip the disk over and pop it into your DVD player and you are in for an awesome treat. 2 full live sets from 1984 at Ruthies Inn on December 28th in Berkely,Ca and at the Exodus Club in Baltimore,MD on February 7th, 1987. There's also a double shot from The Stone in San Francisco in 1984 as well. The audio and video here is very raw, loud and extremely heavy. If you were around and going to shows during this period, these videos will surely conjure nostalgia without a doubt, and if you were too young to be around in the scene then, this is the perfect representation of your roots and should be studied and respected as such, I mean this is Possessed, who better to learn from?! Back when people actually moshed, not busted out karate moves in the pit. When running counter clockwise in a circle and banging your head was second nature and you didnt have to look over your shoulder for a flying fist or spin kick. Also back when people didnt have to be begged to come out and support shows, you went out and had fun and went to shows because you truly lived for Metal and you woke up the next day with a sore neck,a mean hangover and an ear to ear grin because you took part in something special. Wether your a tried and true Metal veteran or new to the scene, "Reanimation" deserves a spot in your Metal library and at only $15 for this classic audio and visual compilation of Death Metal history, picking this up is a no-brainer. Head over to www.redrumrecords.net and grab your copy right now, you'll be glad you did. While your there dont forget the season of gift giving is near, so search through Redrum's awesome inventory and grab something for the Metalhead in your life. The gift of Metal is a priceless one indeed, so support the underground and buy your CD's from www.redrumrecords.net. Huge props to my ILDM brother Alfred for doing a killer job putting the artwork & layout together for this release. If your in a band and need artwork or graphic design done for your next project hit him up at www.demonicdesigns.net and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/demonicdesigns. You can hear cuts from this disk on www.brutalexistenceradio.com and if you want your CD reviewed here and spun on the internet's #1 Metal station, send your disk to Left In Ruins P.O.Box 923 Ossining,NY 10562.