The Exorcist (Cover)
Apr 29, 2012

"The Exorcist" is the seminal opening track of the 1985 debut album Seven Churches by the Bay Area band Possessed, a record widely cited as the first true death metal album. Composed by guitarist Mike Torrao and featuring the snarling vocals of a then-16-year-old Jeff Becerra, the song famously begins with a haunting keyboard rendition of Mike Oldfield’s "Tubular Bells," a direct nod to the 1973 horror film from which the track draws its name and thematic inspiration. This atmospheric intro quickly gives way to a chaotic blitz of tremolo-picked riffs and relentless drumming, establishing a blueprint for extreme metal that moved beyond the thrash speed of contemporaries like Metallica or Slayer. Lyrically, the song mirrors the frantic spiritual struggle of the film, depicting a protagonist trapped in the "grotesque chaos" of demonic possession and pleading for a "final plea" through the rite of exorcism. By blending occult imagery with a raw, "scabrous" production style, "The Exorcist" not only paid homage to a cinematic landmark but also helped define the "death metal" aesthetic—a term the band famously coined on the album's closing track—forever altering the trajectory of heavy music.