Possession (10)
Exorkizein

Listening notes

Possession is a band operating within the overlapping territories of black metal, death metal, and rock — a combination that places them in a lineage of extreme music that has long resisted clean categorization. Exorkizein, released in 2017 on Iron Bonehead Productions under catalog number IBP323, is their vinyl offering on a label that has established itself as a consistent presence in underground extreme metal releases.

The record spans seven tracks across two sides. The A-side opens with a two-minute-and-seventeen-second intro before moving into "Sacerdotium" at five minutes and thirty-four seconds, followed by the three-part "Infestation – Manifestation – Possession" at five minutes and thirty seconds, and closing with "Beast of Prey" at three minutes and forty-six seconds. The B-side carries more weight in individual track length. "In Vain" runs six minutes and thirty-one seconds, "Take the Oath" follows at five minutes and twenty-four seconds, and the album closes with "Preacher's Death," the longest piece at seven minutes and forty-nine seconds.

The total runtime, calculated from the tracklist, comes to approximately thirty-seven minutes across the two sides — a duration that falls comfortably within conventional LP parameters and distributes reasonably across the two faces of the record.

The thematic vocabulary suggested by the track titles — sacerdotium being the Latin term for priesthood, alongside titles referencing possession, oath-taking, and a preacher's death — points toward the kind of religious and transgressive imagery that has been a recurring presence in black and death metal since the genres took shape. Whether this reflects the band's Belgian origins or broader genre conventions is not something the available facts can confirm.

This is an unreviewed draft. All claims should be verified before publication, particularly any details regarding personnel, pressing variants, or label context beyond what is stated here.