𝕭𝖆𝖘𝖙𝖆𝖗𝖉𝖘 𝖔𝖋 𝕭𝖔𝖍𝖚𝖘𝖑ä𝖓

Jeff Becerra - POSSESSED

Kategori: Allmänt

 
Hi! So how are you doing today?
I’m doing fantastic. Keeping really busy with the writing and creating our new upcoming album on Nuclear Blast. This new album has taken years to write and I am extremely excited to hear your response.

2. We´ll jump right into it! What was your first contact with heavier music growing up?
Growing up I listened to Ozzy, Sabbath, Priest, AC/DC, Blue Oyster Cult, well really, I could go on and on because I really immersed myself in music as do all metalheads. Later, I started listening to a great deal of hardcore Punk Rock. My first experienced with extreme metal came from bands like Exodus, Mercyful Fate, Motorhead (love their attitude). Up to that point in time, we had NWOBHM bands, Sex Pistols etc. So through hearing the extremity of Exodus it really opened my eyes up to the possibilities of metal.

3. What were your main influences when began to play music yourself?
I started out by taking Classical guitar lessons at my parent’s insistence. I learned much of the basics of theory and reading this way. Later on, I got into rock & blues and started really learning scales and “rock” techniques so this also helped a great deal. But it really wasn’t’ until I got in my first band, Blizzard that I truly became immersed in playing live and being in a band. Bands become a lifestyle and by spending so much time with your mates you pick up all kinds of new riffs and techniques from the other members. And to this day, much of what I have learned came from those that I play with. Of course, once I learned the basics, it became easier to express my feelings and create my very own style and methods to create music that felt like it is a real part of me.
4. Since you used to play bass yourself, when did you start playing and did you have any favorite bass players when you got started?
My sister gifted me my first bass for my 11th Birthday present. I needed a bass in order to play with my first band Blizzard and had to borrow one up to that point so it really made a big difference to finally have my own instrument. I actually started out with a Conn P-Bass style (copy). Later on my cousin, Dan Maloney made me my red Destroyer Custom short-scale (MSI) which to date, is still my favorite bass to play and the one that I am most comfortable playing. And of course, over the years I have had so many different basses.

5. Did you use to play any other instruments than bass and do you still play some?
I play guitar, keyboards (a little), banjo, harmonica, slide & resonator guitar, upright bass & drums. Although my condition makes drumming an impossibility these days.

6. Were there many metalheads like yourself in your neighborhood where you grew up?
I was really lucky to have grown up in El Sobrante, CA. A lot of other musicians lived very close to where I grew up. Exodus was in the next town over, Outrage (pre-Exodus), Metallica house was close, Green Day practiced in El Sobrante (but were younger than us), and a bunch of others including Y&T, Gamma and more. Kirk Hammet actually lived just around the corner from me and I used to ride my skateboard over to his house. I know I am leaving out plenty more. But there were a LOT of musicians around back then. I met Larry Lalonde at school (Pinole Jr. High) as well as Mike Miner (Blind Illusion) and this is how we got together and started up Marauder/Blizzard my first band.
7. What did your parents think of your choice om music?
My mom & dad have always been super proud and supportive of my music.

8. Did you start or play with any bands before Possessed?
My very first band was called Marauder, soon after we changed the name to Blizzard. I started Blizzard with Larry Lalonde & Mike Miner, Danny Boland (RIP) & Steven Gibb (RIP). Great times.

9. Can you tell us about when you Mike Torrao and Mike Sus first got together and began to play and planning for Possessed?
Mike & Mike had been jamming for at least a few years from what I know but were never called, “Possessed” and as far as I know they had never played live. So whenever I joined the Mike’s they were literally just two guys in a garage. I went back to my old band and brought over Larry Lalonde with me to make half of the band & for the beginnings of Possessed. Once I wrote lyrics and bass lines, and Larry began playing with us we became a real band. Had a lot of really great times in the few short years we were together back then. Even before I got Larry back, I spoke to my old Manager Debbie Abono and asked her to come into the fold with Larry. So that meant that we now had, Debbie, Larry & our old Blizzard rehearsal room at Debbie's house.  Right around this same time we got an offer from Combat Records and signed to our first recording contract These were really good times. So in less than nine months from the time I joined up, I brought in Larry, Debbie, wrote all the bass-lines & lyrics, we were playing live, and got our first recording contract. I have always been really good at bringing a band together. Not trying to "brag" at all, it's just one of the things that I am really good at so I a proud.
Larry Lalonde & Jeff Becerra
10. What were the reason you named the band Possessed and who came up with that?
We took the name from the movie The Exorcist and Possessed seemed to really fit with what we were doing so it was a name we all agreed on using. As far as calling ourselves, “Death Metal” this stemmed from a conversation we had standing in the driveway after one of our practice sessions. Since we were playing such a different style than any other band back then, we wanted to make Possessed different. And since, “Speed Metal, Black Metal, Thrash Metal etc” were taken, we decided to call ourselves a “Death Metal” act. Subsequently, I wrote our song, ‘Death Metal” during an English class whenever I was supposed to be taking a test.

11. Did you consider any other name for the band?
Never.
12. Your first demo is called Death Metal and therefore you are called the first death metal band. How did you come up with the name Death Metal and do you agree that you were the first death metal band?
Possessed were indeed the very first Death Metal band. Up to that point, nobody had played as fast or as heavy as us. Not by a long shot. Originally, I really thought that Possessed would be the only Death Metal band out there. But soon after we began playing live and sent out our demo tape other bands really started loving what we were doing. So there is no doubt that historically, Possessed was the very first “Death Metal” band out there. No other bands were before us. Possessed was the first to call our music/act, "Death Metal" and for a time, Possessed was the only "Death Metal" band in the world. So anybody who says anything different is either flat out lying or just wasn't there to remember it. Or simply not in that scene.

13. Did you look to other bands regarding your image with black leather and spikes and what did people think when they saw you live?
Of course, we saw that Kiss and Judas Priest, Iron Maiden and a host of other metal acts were using spikes. We just took it a large step forward and tried to make ourselves look as heavy as we played. We would buy entire skins of leather and cut them out, pound spikes and pyramids into them and create our own gear.
14. So in October 85, the Seven Churches album was released. What can you tell us about the recording and what was the response from people?
We recorded Seven Churches (and later Beyond The Gates) at Prairie Sun Studios in Cotati, CA. We lived in a farmhouse in the private studio lot for the entire duration of the recording. Prairie Sun Studios was on a chicken ranch with horses etc all fenced in a lot just across from the studios. So every time we fired up our amps. All the chickens and horses would run away to the far side of the lot lol. Because of this, we used to call it, “Seven Chickens”.   Many people just didn’t understand what we were putting out there at first. But our close friends would always be up front at all our shows. In the beginnings, there were people that would laugh and become embarrassed by our music but more and more people started enjoying our stuff. And truthfully, once Seven Churches was released, Possessed grew and grew really quickly until we had a worldwide support base. It was amazing. Especially since I was only 16 at the time.

15. Then in October next year, you released Beyond The Gates. Can you tell us some about that too?
We also recorded at Prairie Sun Studios for Beyond The Gates. Back then, we worried that we would become Pidgeon holed into just playing one style. And we also wanted to branch out and play more melodic styles and rhythms and be more “musical” in nature. Beyond The Gates was really meant to be a whole separate album and different than Seven Churches. If I had to be honest, I would definitely say that BTG is my favorite album. I am extremely proud of its content.
16. Which of these two albums are your personal favorite and why?
LOL, I keep accidentally answering your questions before I see the (unintentional). Like I was saying, Beyond The Gates is my favorite album so far. Of course, I love all of our work so far. But we put a great deal of work into Beyond The Gates and I really think that it kept a lot of avenues open so that we are able to write a wider range of music even today without freaking people out.

17. Are there any Swedish bands you know of and like?
Amon Amarth, Opeth, Bathory, Marduk, Entombed, Dark Funeral. And so many more. Sweden has put out a lot of really great bands whom I enjoy. Long live Sweden, and it’s metal.
18. I hope its ok to ask you about this. Now you´re in a wheelchair because of a robbery, was it? Can you tell us a what happened?
In 1992, I had a concrete construction business. I had worked 13 hours that day. On my way home, I stopped to buy some cigarettes and was robbed by two gunmen. I guess whenever I was in the store I flashed a hundred dollar bill and that was seen. But as I came outside, two hooded and masked gunmen came running up to me. One of them held a revolver and the other an automatic 9mm pistol which he pushed into my stomach so there was no way for me to try and fight him off before he had time to pull the trigger. They demanded my money and I refused to give it to them. This made them extremely angry so he reached in my shirt pocket and took my Camels and said, “I’ll take these” and shot directly at my chest. The second gunman was standing about 15 feet away and I think that the first shot report scared him because almost instantly he also pulled the trigger and shot a 22 directly at my head. Instinctively, I raised up my right hand in defensive posture and I deflected the 22 which shot off my right ring finger and missed my skull just barely. I could hear the bullet whiz past my ear very close so I was extremely lucky. As soon as the bullet hit my chest my legs buckled and I fell to the ground like a bag of sand and in a heap. The first gunman then stood over me trying to pull the trigger at my forehead but his gun had jammed. So he kept pulling and pulling his trigger and slapping the side of his pistol but with no luck. After a few moments of doing that they both just ran away quickly. I pulled myself under a car and just tried to hide a little. My finger was hanging off backwards and squiring out blood really far so I took my left hand and pinched my right armpit as sort of a makeshift tourniquet. I had a smoking hole in my chest that smelled just like steak. So I laid there  for about 20min until this young black girl came walking by. I asked her to, “Call 911” but she said she was too scared because she knew the people. I told her that I would give her ten dollars if she called so she finally agreed. About 20 more minutes passed and finally a police cruiser came screeching up sirens blazing and it was a beautiful thing. The cop was super young with red hair and he said, “Oh my God, this is my first time driving solo and this happens!”. I asked the cop to, “Calm himself” and call an ambulance. He said, “Oh yeah” and used his radio to call for help. Another 15 or so minutes passed and finally the Ambulance arrived and took me to the hospital. I was very lucky that the bullet didn’t hit my heart. And I am lucky to be alive today. Back then, I wasn’t making the best choices in my life and while it really was a robbery and not my fault. I often wonder what would happen if I would have simply drove on home that night.

19. Did they caught the guy who did it and did he get what he deserved?
Yes, they caught them both and they went to prison for a very long time.
Foto: MetalSucks
20. I guess it was a long recovery from all that and you were away from the music scene for some time. Was it always in your mind to get back to the scene and start playing music again?
It was over 17 years during the period between my injuries and getting Possessed back together. It wasn’t easy for me losing the ability to walk and my entire life was turned upside-down. I went through an extremely dark time and for many years I was utterly lost. Eventually, I got my shit together and enrolled in College. Through College, I learned so much about how the world is and about life. In short, I became educated far more than if I would have never gone. Honestly, if I never got shot I would have never gone to College. So in that respect, my injuries gave me the absolute need to go to school. I knew that without education, and being paralyzed, I would be worthless to society and my only way out was to get an education. College really helped me to get back my self-esteem and that feeling of self-worth you know? Towards the end of College, my girl became pregnant. I originally intended on continuing to Law School but since I now had to provide for a family I took a job at a Hospital as a Labor Representative. This fit right in with my “Labor Studies” Major. So I did the family thing for about 15 years and have two children from that. But always, I missed playing live and I missed being in Possessed. Shorty after me and my wife split I reformed Possessed finally. And from there I have never looked back. I should add that so many letters and emails and correspondence of all kinds continually came to me asking me to get the band back together. And it was in large part by their support that I finally got the band back out there So many of you were my inspiration through all the hard times and were that light at the end of the tunnel. It’s been a long road back. And it feels amazing to be up there and playing for you again.

21. What did the audience think when they heard that you were going to play with Possessed again? Did the think "can he do it?" or did you think you had to prove yourself? Or was it just business as always?
I was terrified that people would just think, “Aw how cute, he is in a wheelchair”. Or that they would simply look at me like I was pathetic or something. But whenever we did our first come back show out in Hollywood, CA the crowd went fucking WILD!! It was truly something to behold. We began getting the best crowds ever in the entire history of Possessed. Metalheads simply don’t give a shit and as long as the music is great,  so is their response. I think that the world has grown so much since the early and mid-80s because honestly, not sure if I would have had such a warm response back then. Now, I really believe that people are more ready than ever for Possessed and that our future holds so much more. Currently working hard on creating our new album on Nuclear Blast and I really am hopeful that people will love it as much as I do.
 
22. You are now the only original member in Possessed. Did the other original members not want to be apart of the band no longer?
You have to keep it in mind that the initial line-up was only together a few short years. Touring, practices, writing & learning 24/7 is not for everybody. Being in a Death Metal band is the hardest work I have ever done and not everybody has it in them. You must give up your entire life for the music. And touring is extremely taxing and challenging. I was extremely sad whenever Larry left to Blind Illusion. And by that time Larry was doing a lot of the rhythm recordings etc. in the studio and beginning to write more and more of the music. So whenever he left, the other guys decided that being in a band isn’t for them any longer. I was left alone, and I begged them to stay but they refused and just acted like they hated me for wanting to continue. I asked them to jam and get back so many times over the years but they were just not feeling it. Of course, I completely understand that being in a Death Metal band is not for everybody and I hold no ill feelings against any of the beginning band members. I have nothing but love and respect for all of them and wish them all the success and happiness in the world.

23. You´re now doing a lot of touring and I heard there's gonna be a new album out in 2018! The first full-length album since 1986! Are we still going to recognize the Possessed sound from the old days?
Yes! I am extremely happy with our new material and I think, much like any Possessed album. It won’t be for everybody. Personally, I fucking love it. I am writing a lot of the music as well as all of the lyrics and it feels absolutely right. Possessed has grown so much over the years and really is such a different animal than back when we were kids. And our music has really grown with us. I am always going to sound like me, so of course, Possessed will still sound the same in style. Although, with our new material I hope to bring Possessed into the current times. And while I still really love our first works I hope our new material will not be so dated and lead to many more offerings by Possessed in the future for you. Today’s Possessed is much more talented and complex than the old days. Like I say, we have grown a lot over the years and I hope this translates well.

24. So finally, besides a new album what’s your plans for Possessed in the near future?
Soon after we finish recording I want to spend at least a year just touring in America. Possessed is an American Death Metal band and as much as I love going to Europe, it’s been a long time coming that we tour the States. After that, hopefully, keep touring the world and writing for our next projects. Possessed has a lot more to offer and we are all very excited to hear your responses to what we put out there. More than that, Possessed will always be a “touring” band. So I guess we are like any band in that respect. Write, create, tour. I am just really proud to be jamming with my band. Possessed has never been this good, or sounded and played this good before. We have put so much time, effort, blood, sweat & tears and it feels great to be with a group of guys that are like Family to me. These guys will never quit on me and are loyal beyond the efforts and pressures of being in a band. I owe so much to my band and those of you that have kept the flame burning for well over three decades with Possessed. For those that have waited for my return, and offer up so much love and support, and of course, all those that are just now hearing and getting into Possessed. I am just going to put it all out there and do the very best job I can and hope that you all will like what you see and hear.

For sure, in fact. There is a very small faction out there that actually fucking hate me for making a new LP... They really think that I should just make a few albums and quit. True metal never dies and as an artist, I will continue for as long as I still have that desire. And the desire is more than ever these days because finally, I have a great band that actually works well together.

 Once I landed Emilio Marquez on drums things really came together. After that, Daniel Gonzalez, then Robert Cardenas and finally Claudeous Creamer are the final end Possessed as far as I'm concerned.
Bands have a life unto their own. And I honestly can't think of a single band that NEVER changed members, can you? It is a natural progression. People either quit, die, move on, or whatever you know?
But I am always going to be here no matter what and until I die. I fucking love Death Metal. Even more importantly, I want to represent Old School Death Metal in it's truest form which is much different than the other brands of Death Metal. Of course, I am loving them all. But in my opinion, Possessed as the Godfathers of Death Metal and the true Creators of this genre should keep setting the trend of its own future and the future of the Old School. To me, our genre still has much to represent and would be better served to continually add variety and diversity. I have always really loved the "Epic" longer songs with lyrics that seem to go on forever. And also, some songs with hooks & melodies that are easy to bang it out to you know? Music should be entertaining more than simply playing faster and faster and faster you know? And of course, I will always love playing super fast and heavy. But not just that you know? I am never going to be afraid to play and sing exactly what I like to hear and what I want Possessed's music to become. In short, I always seem to feel as if I am just starting out and every new song and title is a new beginning. It never gets old, it always feels new. And every show feels just as good or better than the first.

Thank you, man, for doing this!
All hail / Bastards Of Bohuslän

What can I say, the pleasure is all mine brother. Thank you for giving me this opportunity and doing this interview. Many Blessings to you and your Family.
In Fire, ~J6E6F6F~