On the evening of Friday, June 12, 2026 a El Barrio in Turin became a true temple of extreme metal as the legendary Possessed delivered a crushing performance. Hundreds of fans gathered for a night packed with relentless riffs, brutal intensity, and an outstanding lineup of supporting bands. Opening the event were Extinction and Sum Herald, who immediately got the crowd moving with the first mosh pits of the night. They were followed by Deathox and Chronic Hate, raising both the technical level and the volume before the arrival of the evening's headliners. Extinction The first band to ignite the audience was Turin's own Extinction. Playing on home turf, the thrash/death metal quintet stormed the stage with unstoppable energy. From the very first riffs, the band unleashed a massive wall of sound built around tight Bay Area-inspired guitar work, devastating death metal passages, and lightning-fast tempo changes. Their stage presence was outstanding, with deep growls, razor-sharp vocals, and an incredibly precise rhythm section. The hometown crowd responded immediately, opening the first circle pits and launching into relentless headbanging. Drawing from their own catalog, Extinction delivered a dynamic yet uncompromising set, once again proving why they are one of the strongest and most consistent bands in the local underground scene. It was the perfect way to open the night and prepare El Barrio for the historic death metal assault that was about to follow. Sum Herald Next came Sum Herald from Verona, taking the stage as the second opening act. The band's core members are vocalist Federico Bisicchia and guitarist/backing vocalist Andrea Mirandola. Their music is built around a dark concept inspired by occult theories, ancient Mesopotamian mythology, and cosmic deities. Their lyrics explore chaos, death, destruction, and mankind's darkest fears. Their debut album, Sum Herald on Earth, was released in April 2024 through Drakkar Productions. Armed with pure aggression, Sum Herald combined the brutality of death metal with the cold, sinister atmosphere of black metal. Their powerful and uncompromising performance quickly won over the audience, creating the perfect atmosphere of sonic violence before the arrival of Jeff Becerra and his band. The crowd answered with enthusiasm, rewarding the band with a strong response throughout their set. Deathox The third band of the evening was another act from Turin: Deathox. The project was founded by multi-instrumentalist and producer Ivano "BeKy" Vartuli, owner of Backup Studio, who handles the band's songwriting, arrangements, and recordings. Originally created as a collaborative one-man project featuring several guest musicians from the Italian metal scene, Deathox later evolved into a full live band. Their sound pays tribute to classic 1980s thrash metal, drawing inspiration from legends such as Metallica and Pantera. Lyrically, BeKy explores difficult themes including mental illness, hallucinations, psychosis, depression, and experiences inside psychiatric hospitals. Their discography includes Psycollective (2023) and their second full-length album Hallucinations (2025), preceded by the singles My Jail and No One Talks To Me. Live, Deathox delivered exactly what fans expected: old-school thrash played with passion, sweat, and raw aggression. Fast riffs, crushing drums, and vocals shifting between screams and savage growls pulled the audience into a whirlwind of dark energy. Chronic Hate The final band before the headliners was veteran Italian death metal outfit Chronic Hate, formed in 2001 between the provinces of Venice and Udine. Their music is deeply rooted in old-school 1990s death metal, inspired by bands such as Monstrosity, Sinister, and Morbid Angel, while also incorporating more modern influences and touches of blackened death metal. Their lyrics deal with nihilism, the darkness of modern life, and rebellion against conformity. Over the years the band has built a solid reputation across Europe, performing at festivals including Tolminator Metalfest and Metaldays, while sharing the stage with legendary acts such as Obituary, Possessed, Suffocation, Destruction, and Misery Index. Despite several lineup changes, longtime members Marco Serodine and Daniele Tollon have remained the backbone of the band, recently joined by talented drummer Nicolas Petri. Their set wasted no time. After a short intro, the band launched into a relentless barrage of blast beats, razor-sharp riffs, and crushing rhythms. The performance featured both classic songs and material from their latest releases, Reflection on Ruin and The Worst Form of Life. Possessed After one final stage change, it was finally time for the legendary Possessed. The pioneers of death metal took the stage slightly behind schedule, led by the iconic Jeff Becerra, the band's only remaining original member. Despite his physical condition, Becerra completely dominated the show with his charisma and unmistakable voice. The band celebrated its legendary career with songs spanning from the groundbreaking 1980s era—including material from Seven Churches—to more recent releases. The performance was razor-sharp, delivering wave after wave of crushing riffs that kept the mosh pit alive from beginning to end. Watching Possessed live was more than just attending a concert—it was witnessing the roots of death metal itself. Widely recognized as one of the founding fathers of the genre—whose very name comes from the band's famous 1983 demo—Possessed continue to deliver a sound that combines Bay Area thrash speed with the raw heaviness and primitive evil of early death metal. They are not interested in modern perfection or clinical precision. Their mission is simple: unleash a devastating sonic assault. The audience responded exactly as expected. Circle pits, nonstop moshing, and endless headbanging turned El Barrio into a battlefield throughout the entire performance. The emotional center of the show was undoubtedly Jeff Becerra. Confined to a wheelchair since surviving a shooting in 1989, he still performs with incredible energy and intensity. His voice, balanced between vicious screams and primitive growls, remains as powerful as ever. Throughout the concert he constantly encouraged the crowd, smiling, shaking hands with fans in the front row, and proving once again why he remains one of extreme metal's most respected frontmen. One of the biggest highlights of the night came from the legendary 1985 debut album Seven Churches. Songs like The Exorcist, introduced by the haunting notes of Tubular Bells, together with Seven Churches and the immortal anthem Death Metal, pushed the audience into absolute chaos. The musicians backing Jeff—including guitarists Daniel Gonzalez and Claudeous Creamer—performed like a perfectly tuned war machine, firing off relentless riffs and chaotic solos from start to finish. The concert lasted just over an hour, the perfect length for such an intense performance, leaving the audience exhausted but fully satisfied after witnessing a true death metal masterclass. As always, once the show was over, Jeff spent time at the merchandise booth taking pictures, signing autographs, and chatting with every fan who approached him with genuine humility. A true legend. [AUTOMATIC TRASLATION]