Krisiun

Brazil's primary heavy metal export is obviously SEPULTURA. However, beneath the surface, within the dirty, hellish underground, numerous impressive metal bands have emerged from the South American nation. Most of these bands are of the decidedly darker variety. There are acts like SARCÓFAGO, MYSTIFIER, VULCANO, MUTILATOR and RATOS DE PORÃO. And hailing from Rio Grande do Sul, the southernmost state in the nation, is none other than the death metal machine known as KRISIUN.

KRISIUN is a family affair. The three brothers—vocalist and bassist Alex Camargo, guitarist Moyses Kolesne and drummer Max Kolesne—formed KRISIUN nearly 30 years ago. The trio hasn't exactly hit a home run every time it's come up to bat; however, to its credit, the group has never been responsible for a single dud either. KRISIUN has reliably released absolutely ferocious material ever since the utterly savage 1995 debut album: "Black Force Domain". Now, with its eleventh long player, "Scourge Of The Enthroned", the Brazilian bulldozers have returned with an effort that's as consistently pummeling as what the unit has been known and loved for, as it is interesting and deep in terms of songwriting.

The opening title track is suggestive of all that follows. A triumphant metal intro leads into a dizzying maze-like riff that sets the stage for Alex's robust war commands. But the song isn't simply a senseless blast attack, although Max's jackhammer blast beats are one of the act's most powerful assets. Following a chaotic solo and a few impressive riff transitions, a calming and slowly played guitar melody takes the forefront amid the backdrop of a chugging rhythm-guitar line and up-tempo drum beats. The juxtaposition of melody and coarseness, as well as up- and down-tempo material, collectively create a mesmerizing effect that has the power to haunt long after the music has entered and exited one's ears.

The trio certainly isn't lacking in terms of musical prowess. It fortunately refrains from flexing its abilities for its own sake, as the case often is with many death metal bands nowadays. Instead, the band leverages its abilities toward creating primal, timeless death metal songs that focus upon feeling rather than soulless technicality. "Demonic III" certainly embodies this spirit as it ties into the album's otherworldly artwork, depicting three evil figures, obviously reflecting, on some level, the three individuals responsible for the villainous cacophony that's threaded throughout the entirety of "Scourge Of The Enthroned".

KRISIUN isn't attempting to reinvent the wheel. That was never the objective. The brothers are more interested in keeping their noses to the grindstone in their pursuit of perpetually releasing well-written death metal. Their efforts continue to pay off as "Scourge Of The Enthroned" is a marked improvement from 2015's "Forged in Fury", which was a good album in its own right. The trio has kept things interesting nearly three decades deep into its career. KRISIUN is essentially a hybrid of classic DEICIDE and MORBID ANGEL on steroids, and fortunately for the listening public, the bones haven't started to crumble just yet.