In 1984, before the onslaught of Florida bands such as Death, Obituary and Morbid Angel, San Francisco quartet Possessed coined the term "death metal" with their debut demo of the same name. Influenced primarily by the speed and sinister lyrics of Slayer and Venom, Possessed took thrash to a new level of brutality and planted the seed for the emerging wave of death to come. The band's main lineup featured singer and bassist Jeff Beccera, guitarists Larry Lalonde (Primus) and Mike Torrao and drummer Mike Sus, and the four musicians played together with a ferocity and precision that was unparalleled at the time. As influential as they were, Possessed's career was short-lived.

After releasing the groundbreaking 1985 album Seven Churches, the slightly more commercial Beyond the Gates in 1986 and The Eyes of Horror EP a year later, Possessed parted ways. Then Beccera's life really took a turn for the worse.

In 1989, during a mugging outside a liquor store, the musician was shot and paralyzed from the waist down. Torrao briefly reformed Possessed in 1993 with new members, but the band didn't last the year. It seemed like Possessed were destined to remain broken up and largely unsung, then last year Beccera announced that he was reforming the group with members of Sadistic Intent. Since then, Possessed have played numerous festivals in Europe and select shows in the U.S., and Beccera has sung from a wheelchair.

Guitar World Manging Editor Jeff Kitts recently tracked down the reclusive frontman and talked to him in depth about his musical background, the history of Possessed, his battle with drugs and booze, the shooting incident that almost took his life, and his comeback from the depths of hell. The story appears in the mag's October issue, which is currently on newsstands. However Guitar World provided HeadbangersBlog.com with interview outtakes that reveal additional details about the cult legend. Click "more" to read the exclusive content. Read more...

Here are the answers to yesterday's round of trivia. If you got all five questions right, you're either a true metal guru or you've mastered the art of Googling.

1. Primus guitarist Larry LaLonde got his start playing with which thrash metal band?
b) Possessed
One of the most vicious and sinister Bay Area bands, Possessed released two albums (1985's incendiary Seven Churches and 1986's ripping Behind the Gates) and an EP (1987's Eyes of Horror) before breaking up. In 1987, LaLonde joined Les Claypool and Tim Alexander in the quirky metal jam band, Primus. Two years later, Possessed bassist and singer Jeff Becerra was shot in a mugging and paralyzed from the waist down.

2. Actor Johnny Strong plays in which band?
c) Operator
Strong played everything and sang on his 2003 album Can You Hear Me Now. He had a little more help for his major label debut, Soulcrusher, which comes out later this year. His current touring band includes ex-Puddle of Mudd guitarist Paul James Phillips, but don't hold that against him. 3. Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi married which female metal performer in 2000?
d) Maria Sjoholm
Swedish-born Sjoholm was the frontwoman for the Alice in Chains-influenced girl band Drain S.T.H. The group put out two impressive albums, 1996's Horror Wrestling, and 1999's Freaks of Nature, before breaking up in 2000.4. What influential band was Josh Homme in before Queens of the Stone Age?
c) Kyuss
One of the founders of a music form that would be coined stoner metal, Kyuss played dense, dizzying metal that simultaneously grooved and ripped. Between 1991 and 1995, the band released four albums. Their best was arguably 1994's Welcome to Sky Valley. After breaking up in 1995, Homme and bassist Nick Oliveri formed Queens of the Stone Age with ex-Kyuss drummer Alfredo Hernandez and guitarist/keyboardist Dave Catching. Oliveri was booted in 2004, but Queens continues to rule the land.