This is a bit of a tough review to write for me, as I dig the tunes laid out here by Italy’s Neurasthenia while playing, but as soon as it’s over I don’t remember much about it, even after 10 plus listens. This gives me mixed feelings about it leaves me wondering what to write. They play a mostly mid paced form of thrash with more than a hint of traditional metal, lots of melodic leads and good but unspectacular soloing.
While I would describe the album as mid paced thrash, Neurasthenia do a good job of balancing things out within the eight tracks here with a couple slower tracks such as “In Loving Of”, which has a nice thick bass line and lots of melody, “Assassination” with it’s simple yet catchy riffing, and some faster stuff like “Fell Possessed”, featuring a few death metal growls, which contrast the all clean, but slightly gritty singing, and “The Last Order of God”, which displays the best and most memorable riffing of the album. The rest of the album reminds of early/mid nineties era Megadeth or Testament, especially in the track titled after the band.
Neurasthenia show some promise with Possessed, as it’s a highly listenable and enjoyable effort, but it’s biggest downfall is it’s lack of ability to stick with you. Ultimately, unless you’re a die hard fan of this style of metal, this is a passable an non-essential album – 2007 has offered us many a great album thus far, especially when it comes to thrash – you’re money would be better spent elsewhere.
