Beyond Possession from Calgary, Canada, have at least one molecule of a legacy, thanks to a legendary punk 7″, an album on Death/Metal Blade, and a smattering of mid-1980s compilation appearances. But in the opinion of me and the impulse that makes me jump seven feet in the air every time I hear it, the band’s 1985 demo rips the rest of their catalog and most other attempts at punk/metal thrash to shreds. Short and to the point, here are three songs in five minutes that stand alongside Seattle’s The Accüsed and Oxnard’s Dr. Know as some of the coolest, sickest music of its day. There’s even a kind of hectic early Voïvod psychosis going on here–yes, Beyond Possession are that good. No Ed Repka artwork, no bullet belts, no colored vinyl, no puffy white sneakers, this is just horror, speed, and great songs; everything that made frantic thrash metal work on a gut level.

BEYOND POSSESSION – 3-song demo 1985 [7.3MB rar]

Thanks to Punkhistorycanada.ca for scanning the band history included in this download from the Beyond Possession – Repossessed 1985-1989 CD, which is itself impossible to find and does not contain these songs. Lots of funny facts there, including a mention of a Beyond Possession poster hanging in the bedroom of former Melvins roadie Kurt Cobain.

What do you think? See you back here in five minutes.

11 COMMENTS

  1. Thanks for posting … I live in Calgary, and to this day, people still ask me about Beyond Possession. Their lecacy lives on. Big time. Metallica even stole riff from them. Listen closely to the first album, its all there.

    I totally agree with you’re remarks, the demo rips!

    I have a copy as well, just never converted it.

    Now … if only you had a Zero hour demo ….

  2. Vever got to hear the demo but I played the album over and over again, I still remember buying it from readning in Metal Hammer or Metal Forces that they were one of the fastest bands in the world and writing about Wehrmacht and Cryptic Slaughter in the same breath. But I must say that beyond Possession is better than those two. Thnks for uploading!!

  3. Rock out, dude… I have to say I had never heard this before.. this jams like only ‘Cows and Beer’ can do… dude.. I trace everything back to Cows and Beer for some reason.. evidently that is my gateway album.. I went from like Skynyrd, and Ted Negent to Die Kreuzen over night… I already have Beyond Possession loaded in my cell phone and my PSP…

  4. Hello,
    Sorry to say that this 1985 demo is incomplete.
    I have it from the original tape source, the tracklisting is as it follows :
    1. Skaters life
    2. Beyond possession
    3. My disease
    4. Deadly messages
    Cheers !

    • “Skater’s Life” was on the Thrasher skate rock comp that same year, but I’ve never seen a version of this demo that included four songs. Of course, it’s possible — Beyond Possession don’t seem like they were too concerned with consistency. Any scans, or anybody else want to chime in on this?

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