Possessed is an influential American death metal band and was formed in 1983 in San Francisco, California. They are noted for their fast playing style and Becerra's guttural vocals. They have been cited as a great influence on the death metal genre. The band's influence on the genre is so great that they are sometimes called the "godfathers" of the death metal genre and are often considered the first death metal group, with the name of the genre possibly coming from their first demo entitled Death Metal. After breaking up in 1993, the band reformed under original bassist/vocalist Jeff Becerra in 2007.