Krisiun
Southern Storm

October 2008
Released: 2008, Century Media Records
Rating: 4.5/5
Reviewer: Lord of the Wasteland

Brazilian death mongers Krisiun have returned with their seventh full-length album, SOUTHERN STORM, and show no signs of slowing down. In truth, this is also the band’s best-sounding album to date, as well (no one will ever forget the ear-bleeding pain of CONQUERORS OF ARMAGEDDON), with Andy Classen returning to the helm after 2006’s ASSASSINATION. There is more melody than ever here, too, but the trademark brutality that Krisiun fans have come to expect from the band remains intact. The difference is that these songs actually burrow into memory individually rather than the album simply bowling us over with a gigantic wall of death metal fury. I don’t know if I’m willing to place SOUTHERN STORM at the crowning position as my favorite Krisiun album, but it certainly is right up there with AGELESS VENOMOUS and WORKS OF CARNAGE at this point.



The one constant in Krisiun’s music is the unrelenting, hyperspeed drumming of Max Kolesne. Max absolutely destroys once again, most notably with a colossal drum sound on “Slaying Steel” and jaw-dropping double bass on “Twisting Sights.” Of course, Moyses Kolesne’s ravaging leads and blazing, technical solos on “Sentenced Morning” and the crazy shredding on “Massacre Under The Sun” will leave the listener awestruck. The band injects a lot of melodic passages on SOUTHERN STORM but always balances them out with an equally brutal section. Case in point: the irresistible, neck-snapping groove of “Sons of Pest” is offset by Max’s jackhammer blasting and Alex Camargo’s roiling vocals. Moyses unleashes his flamenco roots on the brief classical guitar instrumental, “Black Wind” and it should be noted that it takes great skill to be able to pull off the smooth, calming effect warranted for “Black Wind” and peel back the skin of the listener with the scorching leads that immediately follow on “Whore of The Unlight” (don’t miss Camargo’s embolism-rendering war cry at the end of that song!). It’s a real wonder that it’s taken Krisiun over fifteen years to cover a song from fellow Brazilian heavy metal legends, Sepultura, on record. Brilliantly treating “Refuse/Resist” to a death metal overhaul, Krisiun proves that they deserve to be spoken in the same breath as the veteran thrashers (and based on recent output, should usurp the throne entirely!).



Krisiun remains one of the most consistent, trend-defying bands currently haunting the death metal ranks. One would think the band would be slowing down by now or at least have a dud to their credit but it seems that Krisiun can do no wrong. Brutal, melodic, technical, ferocious—Krisiun does it all on SOUTHERN STORM.



KILLER KUTS: “Slaying Steel,” “Sentenced Morning,” “Twisting Sights,” “Massacre Under The Sun,” “Contradictions of Decay,” “Sons of Pest,” “Whore of The Unlight”