UMUR "Death Metal" is the first demo release by US thrash/proto-death metal act Possessed. The demo was independently released in 1984. Possessed formed in 1983, and released two demos, two albums, and an EP before disbanding in 1987. "Death Metal" originally featured three tracks. A fourth track titled "Fallen Angel" was also recorded during the sessions, but ultimately left off the original demo release. It has been bootlegged heavily though (and therefore often appears as the closing track of the demo, depending on which version you listen to). The original version of the demo features guitarist Brian Montana, but there is a re-issue version of the demo which features future Blind Illusion/Primus guitarist Larry LaLonde. Possessed are considered one of the forefathers of death metal, but they started out less influential.

The death metal tag cannot be applied to this demo despite the title of the release, as what is featured here is just raw and brutal sounding thrash metal influenced by artists like Slayer, Hellhammer, and Sodom. It´s pretty crude and features a raw sounding production job, but it arguably has some charm. The vocals are raw, shouting, and snarling, typically delivered in staccato style and with titles like "Evil Warriors" and "Burning in Hell" it´s not hard to imagine the lyrical content of the songs. So upon conclusion "Death Metal" is a decent first demo by Possessed, but it´s not here they earned their death metal credibility. A 2.5 star (50%) rating is warranted.