Possessed | Biography & History. AllMusic.com: "The brutal Seven Churches was arguably the first true death metal album and set the stage for the genre's breakaway from thrash."
Seven Churches - Possessed | Songs, Reviews, Credits. AllMusic.com: "The band definitely displayed a strong Slayer influence; but it was ... Jeff Becerra who first introduced the barely decipherable grunting vocal style which would epitomize the death metal genre."
Beyond the Gates - Possessed | Songs, Reviews, Credits. AllMusic.com: "Maybe they should have been a little more wary, as the recording that should have built upon the solid foundation laid down by the previous year's genre-forming debut Seven Churches (still regarded as one of death metal's inaugural cornerstones), wound up coming as a disappointment to most critic and fans alike." "...transforming a sound previously distinguished for its inexorable power into a ragged, decidedly weaker-kneed replacement."
Possessed | Biography & History. AllMusic.com: "Their second effort, Beyond the Gates, was released, fittingly enough, on Halloween 1986, but didn't have the same impact as its predecessor."
