One look at the cover art of this album back in 1988 or so was enough for me to get it at any cost. The logo, the demonic masked cover art and the title. “Possessed By Fire”. It got stuck in my mind for what seemed for ages. But then that was just the beginning. The back cover of the Disaster’s vinyl version with four tough guys with t-shirts form killer Hardcore and Thrash Metal bands. “This must be it!” my young mind was thinking. Still, I was not sure how the hell I was going to get into my house without my parents noticing the disturbing cover art and the image of four warriors from hell singing things like ‘Fallen Saint’. Ex-communion was my fate, but then again I was more than willing to face it no matter the fear. The only reference I got from this band was from that old Metalhead (ok, one year older than me, but way longer hair… ok, like maybe two months more than me without getting a haircut, but it seemed so tough!) He told me “They sound a bit like EXODUS”. I was trembling with anxiety. I LOVED and worshipped EXODUS to death. Paul Baloff, Gary Holt, Rick Hunolt, Tom Hunting and the bass player McKillop. Add to that the magic words “and they are from GERMANY…” Bands like DESTRUCTION (which was at the time my favorite due to ‘Curse The Gods’) and SODOM came to my mind. The elder metaller added: "And they have a slight SLAYER vibe.” I was in a different state of mind…like in a trance. I was thinking riffs in the ‘Altar Of Sacrifice’ magnificence… without even listening to it I knew this was going to blow me away. Once the diabolic record was safe into the room with the turntable, the headphones were in and then the music started. Up to this day the damn title stands as what happens to the mortals that dare to listen to it in its entirety. This is, without doubt on of the best Thrash Metal albums of all time from a band that deserved a better fate. Evil vicious Thrash Metal. Killer riffs…killer vocals…a timeless masterpiece. Almost two decades later I came to listen to the demo songs that are included in further re-press of this monster album. I was shocked. The demo sounds like a different band, just like a shadow of things to come. I accept it as what then turned out to be for me, one of the best Thrash Metal albums of all time. And after all this time, it has aged with grace as only the few like “Kill ‘Em All”, “Show No Mercy” and “Obssessed By Cruelty” had done. They deserve to be remembered for this album and revered. Yes, I know some members took the name logo and perform some songs again here and there, and even dare to record some new things… For me, EXUMER is this one and the one after this (the more SLAYER-esque “Rising From The Sea”). After that I do not care nor I need anything else. www.facebook.com/pages/the-official-exumer-facebook-page/130553793638326, www.hrrecords.de