INTERVIEW WITH JEFF BECERRA OF POSSESSED FAME FROM CANADIAN ASSSAULT ISSUE # 2
Godfathers of black/death metal - Interview conducted by Arto Lehtinen
Good day Jeff! What have you been doing lately?****** Well, mostly I've been keeping busy with my studies at San Francisco University where I am majoring in Labor Studies with a Minor in Social Science. I am fastly becoming more and more involved with the Unionizing of America as well as workers rights in the work-place. Also I am trying more and more to be involved in America's civil rights struggles.
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Let's go to the very beginning of Possessed... I read that Brian Montana, the guitarist who was replaced the "wonder-kid" Larry Lalonde, was kicked out from the band because he wasn't too dedicated and serious to the black metal thing with spikes, leather and inverted crosses. But how serious were you and two Mikes with this satanic image? Was that particular style chosen only because of its shocking value and extremity - a sort of teenager rebellion - or was there something more important behind the infernal appearance?****** Well, we always were quite serious about our music and keeping it
*really* hardcore. The cloths were just meant to back up the image that we wanted to portray. All of us were (and still are) unhappy with America's social condition as well as the religious hypocricies that are prevalent and wanted to rebel against them.
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How did regular, non-metal people react to your extreme style? What was your parents' opinion about their son playing in a metal band with satanic image?****** People seemed to either love us or hate us (mostly hate). Many of those who hated us just weren't into the hardcore scene, and that's understandable. Hardcore death-metal is not for the faint at heart. Actually my parents have always been really supportive of my musical exploits and that was extremely helpful in the long run.
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Prior to joining Possessed you and Larry were in the same band. What kind of stuff did you play? Did you play in other bands before or after Possessed? ****** We played some Sabbath tunes and a lot of 60s and 70s types of music as well as a few heavy metal tunes. I actually quit the band for Possessed because I wanted to play in a heavier band (Possessed). Bands like Motorhead became very influential to me. Later I came back for Larry and persuaded both Mikes to let him
audition.
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Seven Churches was said to be the best selling album for Combat records back then, how many copies did it sell? What about Beyond theGates and The Eyes of Horror? Were you satisfied with the number of sold lp's? Was it important for the band to sell as many records as possible? Did you earn much extra money from the record sales? ****** I have no idea how many copies were sold, but selling albums was definitely not our main concern. We would have rather played to a few hardcore fans than a million trendy posers! We have always managed to keep a small but faithful following. Speaking of each album now, how do you feel about all those three albums nowadays ?!? Does it bother you somehow, cos Seven Churches is always considered the best output and Beyond The Gates and Eyes Of The Horror haven't gained such a big cult status as the first one, but anyway highly praised albums....?!? Of course I still love the old Possessed tunes, as I put many hard hours of work into their production and existence. I sacrificed my life for that band and it will always be held dear to me. Possessed was a meat and potatoes, blood sweat and tears type band. People needed us in order to rebel against a society that isn't worth a shit.
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Why was "Swing of the axe"re-recorded for The Eyes of Horror, although you had said it was recorded exclusively for Metal Massacre VI as well as ? Didn't you have enough songs for the mini lp, the same track is on the first demo ?!?****** We wanted to do another version of it in order that we might put a little more $$ and production into the recording process. Also so that people would remember that we were still a super heavy band. People always seemed to love the old stuff anyway. But the lyrics on "The Eyes of Horror" didn't deal with satanic and other apocalyptical views and instead they were about psychiatric things and mental illness...
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Did you get tired of having the lyrics about satan ?!? I liked to write about many different subjects. I was doing a lot of experimenting with drugs back then and to sing about insanity seemed to me to be the only natural thing. Of course there are still many less obvious references to the mighty Satan. :-) When I became familiar with the Possessed stuff, hell remembers when, I immediately noticed your flesh ripping growling deathy vocal style which was unique at that time, how did you develop that delivery anyway ?!? ****** By smoking many cigarettes and chewing on broken glass. Just kidding, to be truthful the music was so fucking that I just began to sing in a similar fashion. We couldn't find a real singer so I did it! It really was an organic thing that grew out of necessity for a singer and severe want.
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Possessed got a chance to tour across and around the States with your idols Venom and even Slayer was involved, apparently it was one of the most memorable tours because people still keep recalling ?!? How was it anyway ?!?******Well I wouldn't exactly call Venom and Slayer my idols. In fact, we were a band before Slayer, their album beat ours into the stores and forever people would think that Slayer was to influence us. To be quite frank, Slayer never influenced us but
more likely it was the other way around. Touring the US was the greatest experience of my life. I came to realize just how many fucking death metal heads were out there!! We did a lot of partying and met many nice sluts and groupies too!
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Can you ever estimate how many gigs Possessed did during its years of existence?!? What was the wildest and the most brutal dangerous gig that you ever did ?!?****** Shit, I couldn't even guess! Hundreds maybe even more. I do know that I feel like a veteran of metal and I really know about the scene. All of the gigs in the old days were extremely hardcore. Many times people were hurt and even killed. Church groups would protest outside and parents hated us! People would even throw shit at us and one time Torrao got shot at! I have kicked much ass, and had my ass kicked countless times. My left wrist has been broken 7 times from slam dancing, stage diving, fighting etc. Those days were so fucking hardcore I can't even begin to tell you.
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Could you remember which bands did you play with ?!?****** Some favorites were, DRI, Venom, Slayer, Death and Dark Angel, Hirax, Destruction, Celtic Frost, Voivod, Suicidal Tendancies, Megadeth, Agnostic Front, Fang, The Mentors, Exodus and many many more!! What do you think about the re-unions of old bands like Venom, Exodus, Dark Angel(one gig reunion I guess), Exciter etc etc...? Have you been in contact with f.ex. Cronos or the H-team of Exodus during 90s or even nowadays? When a band should NOT make a comeback and which band you'd wish to make it? I don't talk much to any of the guys nowadays. I think that if a musician feels the desire to play than he/she should go out and do just that!! It doesn't matter if you are old or young, music and musicianship is timeless and eternal.
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What about the "revival" bands, that are going back to the roots of thrash, death and black metal in both music and image wise? Do you think these retro groups are spoiling the name of the original bands or is it only good for the scene that bands like Aura Noir(nor), Gehennah(swe) and Inferno(nor) play in the name of heavy fucking metal but don't forget the tongue-in-cheek-side of this genre either?****** I think that any band that is playing heavy shit is cool. Also I like some of the more mainstream bands like Sepultura. I can't wait for the release of the Soul Fly album to see what Max is up to now!
Every day I drive the 2 hr. commute to San Francisco listening to bands like Sacred Reich, Emporer, Mayhem, Sepultura and any other band that is heavy and fast. I will always love the fast stuff. The Norweigan and Swedish scene seems to be coming out with some of the most killer shit around and I think that's cool. Also Australia is beginning to seem like a mainstay to the metal scene.
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There haven't been so many Possessed songs covered on other, newer bands' albums, which is rather surprising in my opinion, cause very often your three albums are mentioned as a big influence on many metal bands of today. I do know some bands having done their own version of tunes of Possessed ; "The exorcist" performed by Cannibal Corpse and "Burn in Hell" performed by Angelcorpse. But do you perhaps know if there are other bands which have made their version of
some Possessed classic song? Do you think these versions, Angelcorpse and Cannibal Corpse, do justice to the original songs and what's your opinion about cover songs in general?****** Vader does "Death Metal" and rather well I might add. I have the Angel Corpse version of "Burning in Hell", it is faster than shit and killer as fuck! I have yet to hear the Cannibal Corps version of "The Exorcist" but am looking forward to finding a copy soon.
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What's your opinion about the current black metal bands' satanic beliefs and brutal images? As far as I've understood right, today's bm-bands seem to be more dedicated to that darker style of life (or at least they say so...) than the originators of the genre in the 80's, do you find it positive or negative? Which do you think is more important in (metal) music, having fun or being serious all the time?****** I think that people should do whatever makes their life worth living. I am not going to preach any "one way" of living as I am very much aware that it takes all kinds to make the world go round. Live is hard and sometimes it is necessary to be hard in order to stay alive.
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What's the biggest difference between the metal scene of today and the scene in the beginning of 80's, except the greater amount of bands nowadays in your opinion?****** Metal seems to be in a slump, more and more kids seem to be listening to the alternative stuff and it is really hard to make a name in the truemetal scene. Although the people who are into metal are just as fanatical as in the 80s if not more.
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When every single metal magazine was writing and everyone was talking about the Bay Area scene back 11-12 years and there used to be a lot of bands who got signed by major labels, did you talk to other Bay Area metallers that now this boom has got out of hand and have you ever pondered what was the basic reason for why so many bands all of a sudden popped up there ?!?****** I can answer that question with great ease, we were all friends! We grew up together and hung out in
the same clubs. The SF scene was really tight and everyone was greatly influenced by each other.
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Now Venom have done the long expected reunion at last, but was it kinda weird how big impact Venom had on bands like Possessed, Bathory, Destruction, Bulldozer, Voivod in the beginning and the mid of the 80's cos most of them had the same image, pikes, leather, satanic lyrics...so on ?!?********************** Now that you have mentioned Voivod I really must say that they were doing a much different thing than Venom was, much more progressive in nature and talent laden.
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Possessed was more or less Mike Torraos brainchild, but was his attempt to re-form Possessed in 1991 already doomed from the beginning? They were going to release an album, but that never happened, can you tell us why? At least they supported Machine Head in 1993, did you follow that desperate some kind of comeback ?!?****** Well, Torrao told me himself that it just wasn't the same as it was whenever I was in the band. We were much tighter and willing to do whatever was necessary in order to achieve our goals. Torrao wasn't willing to start from square one again and build a following.
Whenever we started there were'nt many bands out there playing a similar style as us, now there is much more to compete with and people are really starting to perfect the style.
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It seems like Century Media is at last getting the right to all three Possessed albums and probably issue all of them and maybe some kind of another "greatest hits" album, could you unveil about what it's up with this case ?!?****** Well, your close but I have been asked not to comment until negotiations are concrete.
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But why another "the greatest hits" comp. cd.. Isn't that previous one enough already or what ?!?****** I would love to actually play a part in a real "Greatest Hits" album, as the last one didn't have what I felt to be our best songs.
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And life goes on.... After Possessed. What do the former original members do nowadays ?!? Do you even keep contact to each other ?!?***
Well, Larry is in Primus, Mike Sus helps brain injury patience to recover and to learn how to live on their own, Mike Torrao has his own landscaping business and is doing great at it. Last time I talked to Larry he was going into the studio to do some tracks for the TV show "South Park".
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Do you consider yourself as a kind of legend in the metal scene? Is there any person(s) you'd name as a legendary character in the world of heavy metal? ****** Well I am glad that I have done what I have done, but to tell you the truth I am just a normal type guy who happened to play Death Metal back in the day. To me guys like Lemmy from Motorhead and Ozzy will always be the true legends. There are just too many great players (legends) out there for me to name in just one interview!
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What kind of metal does Mr Legend Becerra listen to nowadays ?!?****** I listen to all the metal that I can get my hands on!! I am always on the prowl for new bands to listen to. To close this interview, tell us who are the pigs that are ordered to be killed in the song "Death metal". Why they should (have) be(en) killed? I warmly thank you for your time to answer this interview..... Pork, the other white meat. Just kidding, of course I am talking about sal the conformist pigs that try to tell us how to methodically live our lives without an ounce of originality. The cops, the government the politicians, the Christians and all those who are braindead and caught up in societies many entrenched dogmas. My advice to anyone who wants to listen is, keep fighting the good fights and do what is necessary to make yourself happy! 666 Jeff Benjamin Becerra.
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Official
website: http://www.oocities.org/SunsetStrip/Alley/1409/possesed.htm
