Many would however relate the Possessed sound to the old wave of Black Metal which was started by bands such as Venom, Hellhammer and Bathory.Possessed band page, Eduardo Rivadavia, Allmusic: "The brutal Seven Churches was arguably the first true death metal album and set the stage for the genre's breakaway from thrash."
Eduardo Rivadavia, Review of Possessed, Beyond the Gates, Allmusic: "[The album] wound up coming as a disappointment to most critics and fans alike . . . transforming a sound previously distinguished for its inexorable power into a ragged, decidedly weaker-kneed replacement."
Eduardo Rivadavia, Possessed band page, Allmusic: "Their second effort, Beyond the Gates, was released, fittingly enough, on Halloween 1986, but did not have the same impact as its predecessor."
