METALLIAN - Krisiun

Black Force Domain - 1997 - Dynamo
Apocalyptic Revelation - 1998 - G.U.N.
Conquerors Of Armageddon - 2000 - G.U.N.
Ageless Venomous - 2001 - Century Media
Works Of Carnage - 2003 - Century Media
Assassination - 2006 - Century Media
Southern Storm – 2008 – Century Media
The Great Execution – 2011 – Century Media
Forged In Fury – 2015 – Century Media
Scourge Of The Enthroned – 2018 – Century Media
Mortem Solis – 2022 – Century Media

Members

Vocals

ALEX CAMARGO

Guitar

MOYSES KOLESNE - Mauricio Nogveira>>Torture Squad, In Hell, Zoltar

Bass

ALEX CAMARGO

Drum

MAX KOLESNE

History & Biography

Krisiun is a Brazilian black and death metal band known for its vicious riffing and hyper speed madness. The band was formed in 1990 and issued a demo called Evil Age in 1991 and a demo called The Plague in 1992. Krisiun featured Altemir Souza on second guitar at this point. This man would die in a motorcycle accident in 2002 long after his departure from the act. His replacement Mauricio Nogveira would not last long either. The band would continue on as a trio. A year later the group issued a split-CD with Violent Hate on the Brazilian label Rock Machine. Dynamo Records issued a compilation of the band's material in 1994 before the brothers recorded and released their full-length debut for the band. The Black Force Domain album was later issued in Europe through G.U.N. Records. The signing gave the band a fairly large profile in Europe and allowed for the Brazilians to tour that continent with the likes of Kreator. Apocalyptic Revelation was recorded in Germany at Musiclab Studio. As of the Conquerors Of Armageddon album the band signed with Century Media for Europe and North America. The band's manager was also in charge of Century Media Brazil.

The group would consistently record and tour and use producers Pierre Remillard (Obliveon and Cryptopsy) and Andy Classen (Holy Moses and Dew-Scented) for production work. A full-length DVD would also emerge in 2006 entitled Live Armageddon courtesy of Poland's Metalmania. The band released a new album, called Southern Storm, in mid-2008 through Century Media Records. Andy Classen again recorded the album at Stage One Studios. A tour with Rotting Christ was also underway in Iberia. Leng Tch’e, Krisiun and Paroxysm banded together for a tour of Canada in late October and November of 2008. Immolation and Krisiun joined for a four-week European Sounds Of Extreme Tour 2011 in November. Krisiun released a new album, The Great Execution, on October 31st in Europe and November 1st of 2011 in North America through Century Media Records. The band's eighth studio album "musically expands Krisiun trademark high-speed death metal violence with a heavily increased amount of diversity ranging from extreme tempo variations over distinct rhythm patterns to clean guitars and even Flamenco parts!" Australian thrashers Truth Corroded, as well as Krisiun, Malevolent Creation and Vital Remains were touring across Europe from January 27th to February 18th using The Sounds Of Extreme Tour 2012 monicker.

Krisiun re-signed with Century Media Records in the summer of 2012. Krisiun had a 2015 record, Forged In Fury, out on August 7th through Century Media. Cannibal Corpse was in Europe in April of 2016 with support from Krisiun and Hideous Divinity. Cannibal Corpse also headlined 2016’s The Summer Slaughter Tour, beginning July 23rd. The tour also featured After The Burial, Nile, Suffocation, Krisiun and others. Krisiun’s Scourge Of The Enthroned album was released through Century Media Records on September 7th. Death Chopping North America tour was the monicker for the Canada and USA trek that autumn featuring Suffocation, Cattle Decapitation, Krisiun, and Soreption. This marked Suffocation singer Frank Mullen’s farewell tour. Septicflesh, Xaon, Krisiun and Diabolical were touring Europe in March 2019. Kataklysm, Krisiun, Exhorder and Hatchet would tour North America in September in 2019. The band announced it would embark on a South America tour with Belphegor, Nervochaos and Crypta in May 2022. Krisiun had a new album, called Mortem Solis, through Century Media Records in the middle of 2022. The band had a lyric video for the track War Blood Hammer. Vader announced the Revelation Of The Wicked – North American 2023 tour. Krisiun and Decrepit Birth were opening the trek, which took place in March and April. The band was booked for The Dortmund Deathfest, which was to take place in that city in Germany in August 2023. The band was also booked for the second Brazilian edition of Slipknot's Knotfest for autumn 2024. Deicide was embarking on a North American Banished By Sin Tour beginning September 5th 2024. Opening were Krisiun, Inferi and Cloak.

Moyses, Max and Alex are brothers, however Alex uses his mother's maiden name, Camargo, while his brothers use their own.

Reviews

KRISIUN - CONQUERORS OF ARMAGEDDON - CENTURY MEDIA
Krisiun might be expatriate Brazilians and have two brothers in the band, but that's where the comparisons end. Four albums later this trio still plays real metal art, and there is no impending yielding to commercialization in sight. No, these guys are not looking to join the wimp caravan that is Ozzfest, to tour with Cradle of shit or get an interview in Metal Hamster. You guessed it, Krisiun are the epitome of death metal 2000A.D. Brutalizingly jagged-edge death metal riffs, intrepid fiery solos, bludgeoning double bass and dual-channel guttural death grunts blast and pummel with no regard whatsoever for the posted speed limits of the commercial pop/metal magazines or assorted critics. Even better, the trio know how to compose tight, entertaining riffs with feet firmly planted in the true metal legacy of Massacra and Incubus - only up-dated in the speed and heaviness departments - and manage to convey that clarity-of-purpose in their compositions. If you can imagine the impact of Beneath The Remains-era Sepultura mixed with the power of Cryptopsy then you can imagine Krisiun. Behold the triumph of speed for speed's sake. - Ali "The Metallian"

KRISIUN - AGELESS VENOMOUS - CENTURY MEDIA
Brazil's 'The Seas Of Abomination' delivers another pure metal album. Past the standard Joe Petagno cover art colours and the intro, the album does sound disappointing; however gets better with each track. The speed, while restrained initially, reaches Krisiun standards on Eyes Of Eternal Scourge and Saviour' s Blood with both tracks sporting good lead work. The dual vocals are effective on the latter and the band mixes the pace with two instrumentals. One of these reminds me of Manowar's Flight Of The Bumblebee. It is evident that Krisiun has taken its feet off the accelerator, yet with none of the weaker elements of today's scene Ageless Venomous is still a good album. It disappoints when compared to the band's previous work. - Ali "The Metallian"

KRISIUN - WORKS OF CARNAGE - CENTURY MEDIA
The last Krisiun release, 2001's Ageless Venomous, bore the brunt of much criticism for its sound. The Brazilians are back and this time around have ditched Tchello Martins in favour of Pierre Remillard (Cryptopsy, etc.) and have obtained a more agreeable sound. Other than that there is not much deviation to report. A serpentine cover adorns a disc jam packed with blistering death metal abominations like Thorns Of Heaven and Wolfen Tyranny to name two of the better tracks. The band does waste time and space by including an intro, an outro and a Venom cover song though. For those who have not heard the band, the Brazilians are faster than an atom bomb, holocaust so vast, employ guttural vocals and throw one crooked Morbid Angel-inspired solo after another. The title Works Of Carnage sums it up rather well. - Ali "The Metallian"

KRISIUN - BLOODSHED - CENTURY MEDIA
Here is a curiosity. Century Media Records has issued an EP's worth of new material by Krisiun with four older songs from 1993 as one package. The older songs are from the rare Unmerciful Order EP which was pivotal in getting the band much attention in the underground. Germany, in particular, was at the forefront of allowing the band to breakthrough out of its native Brazil. As expected the songs are fast and do not enjoy the best of productions. They rip nevertheless.
The newer songs are peculiar for Krisiun in that the trio has shifted back from its super fast mentality (although the bio still refers to the band as "hyperspeed") and has recorded mostly mid-paced songs for this disc. This might be worrisome for the future, but as things stand these songs are impressive in their own right and give the band some breathing room before hitting the masses with another whirlwind of metal brutality. Having said that, songs like Hateful Nature and Visions Beyond do incorporate enough speed to keep even the fanatics happy. It is just that a track like Voodoo almost sounds like Saint Vitus. One final note, anyone else notice how the outro sounds like the theme to Dr. Who? - Ali "The Metallian"

KRISIUN - ASSASSINATION - CENTURY MEDIA
Look at these titles: Bloodcraft, Natural Genocide, Vicious Wrath, Father’s Perversion, Suicidal Savagery or Decimated. Is there a need for further explanation? AssassiNation is Krisiun doing what Krisiun does best. This is an album jam-packed with hyper speed brutality, death metal growling, razing guitars, squealing leads and blasting drums.
The band has gone back to producer Andy Classen, who worked with the band on 2000’s Conquerors Of Armageddon and has done a great job for others like Dew-scented and Suidakra, for a full and dense sound. The album begins with the relatively lacklustre Bloodcraft, but soon goes for the kill with crunchy brutal death. The leads squeak and intersperse the blasts on Vicious Wrath, Father’s Perversion is adventurous in the guitar notes department in essence doing what lesser bands go for on keyboards and on it goes. Aside from the clichéd Motörhead cover version of Sweet Revenge and tribal drums of Summon and the '80s-styled instrumental Doomed AssassiNation really takes no prisoners. - Anna Tergel

KRISIUN - LIVE ARMAGEDDON DVD - CENTURY MEDIA
A live set from the 2004 edition of Poland's MetalMania and another set, from the same year recorded at a show in the bands hometown of Sao Paulo are the main sections of the DVD. The two recordings comprise of nine and twelve songs, featuring much of the same set, respectively. The MetalMania show is recorded more professionally on a big stage and includes a few visual effects that take away some of the rawness of an otherwise live concert. Krisiun play songs like Hatred Inherit, Dawn Of Flagellation and Works Of Carnage and successfully manage to show their power and speed pretty effectively for a trio. The DVD also includes three bonus tracks from Wacken 2001 in Conquerors Of Armageddon, Vengeance's Revelation and a drum solo, a decent recording sessions segment and the promotional video for Murderer. - Anna Tergel

KRISIUN - SOUTHERN STORM - CENTURY MEDIA
Slaying Steel is an interesting title as it is perhaps more suited to Manowar, but Krisiun are not one to disappoint. Fast and heavy riffs and drums accompanied by a, dare one say, catchy mix of rhythm and song structure is one gets in the opener. Sentenced Morning sees the band injecting some more varied moments but the crushing speed, heaviness, fast solos, and hard drumming are not sacrificed or forgotten. Twisting Sights jumps from its Slayer riffing start into the unrelenting. Minotaur is more death metal. Combustion Inferno is again heavy death metal the way this trio can do it. Massacre Under The Sun has a menacing, bass dominated start and it is as heavy as it can get. Bleeding Offers just follows up on the song before it. A pointless Sepultura cover, Refuse/Resist, follows. Origin Of Terror is four minutes of death metal complete with everything to be expected from these Brazilians. Contradictions Of Decay is simply put pure mayhem, offering a bit of variation but all within the confines of what is Krisiun. Sons Of Pest (?) is another crushing 4:47 minutes to add to this 50-minute release. Black Wind is a 48 second intermission. Whore Of The Unlight (Marduk spoof??) doesn’t let up and closes this the way it started.
Southern Storm is very much an apt title. - Anna Tergel

Interviews

One of the bigger names ensconced atop of the death metal hierarchy in 2006, beside bands from more familiar locales like Canada, USA and Sweden, is a trio from a rather exotic country. Surely, Brazil's most popular and best-known metal band right now is none other than the three brothers calling themselves Krisiun, which thanks to an incredible gift for extreme sounds and the added bonus of consistency has earned much respect, fans and success worldwide. The death metal mavens have recently released a new album, in timely fashion called AssassiNation, and have begun the usual bout of touring that follows. Eager to find out more Ali "The Metallian" was able to reach drummer Max Kolesne (the rest of the band is singer/bassist Alex Camargo and guitarist Moyses Kolesne) while on the road travelling in the middle of nowhere town USA for the aforementioned touring purposes. - 05.04.2006

"The tour is going well so far," begins Max referring to the band's North American jaunt with Despised Icon, Behemoth and Morbid Angel. "It is a fucking honour to be opening for Morbid Angel. They are icons. It is a good package with different bands. We just came from headlining Europe where we played 32 shows.
"Morbid Angel are fucking amazing. It is good to see those guys back together playing those old classics from Altars Of Madness and Covenant. It is a dream for me. I am an old fan. I am by the stage every night watching those guys. David Vincent is better than ever." he offers referring to original singer David Vincent's recent return to that band.

Turning the conversation to the band's latest album, AssassiNation, Max addresses the title first. "AssasiNation is about the bloodshed, wars and killings happening everywhere in the history of mankind," he informs. "It is about people killing people for religion and politics. It arouses us. It is reality; not fantasy. It is the most brutal subject we could pick for lyrics."
The band and the man don't want to take sides though. "I don't have a position. I just know that we live in a fucked up world. I also feel that we are outcasts. I feel that metal people are different. We have different points-of-view. We are not society's puppets. We don't follow what most people follow. Most people stand for religion and fanaticism, they have these views on politics and they think they are right. I don't agree with that. We are free people and we don't fit with those views. I think people and the world are fucked up.

One wonders whether metal fans are truly different in their outlooks or that notion is the music genre's equivalent to an urban legend. Max sums up his thoughts. "I think metal people are different. Metal fans share a frame of mind. They like to have fun and they have a personality that doesn't give a fuck. They don't care for new trends. They stand for what they are. They are 'metal' and they are proud of it. They like to have a good time, listen to good music, drink beer, and have long hair and whatever. Those people who are metal heads forever have strong personalities.
"People like me, and other strong metal heads, see metal as the religion. It is in our fucking blood and in our souls."

AssassiNation is a strong album that perpetuates the band's stylistic niche of brutally fast and heavy music. Some see this as a strong strain of consistency, while others tend to look for change. Is the latest album different than its predecessors and, to begin with, is change an important and relevant concept? Max is on the affirmative side on both accounts. "I think the new album is a bit more groovy compared to our previous releases. It is more varied, has some mid-tempo parts and there is some slower parts. It is still the same band though with the Krisiun trademarks. It is still a lot of speed, heaviness and brutality. We have managed to introduce some different elements and patterns too though. I think this album is different.
"In answer to your second question I think it is important to be different on every album. I think it is important to not keep repeating ourselves. We try to write some interesting music with good vocals and music that makes people go crazy, you know?"

To achieve that the band has gone back to work with German producer Andy Classen after using several other names to engineer the intervening albums. One wonders who the band would like to work with were money no object. "It is hard to say," he says pausing and seemingly thinking aloud. "I think Andy Classen does such a great work. We were really looking for the sound we got on AssassiNation. It is heavy, natural and big at the same time. It has our best production so far. It is difficult to answer the question because you could have a famous producer and still not be satisfied with your sound in the end. Well, maybe Rick Rubin would be somebody we could work with. You know, one of those famous guys”¦"

One of the things that often annoy this writer is the recording and inclusion of cover versions. Whether as space fillers or as a misguided attempt at introducing something different the sheer number of these so-called tributes has long gotten out of hand. The opinion was put to the drummer that the world does not need any more cover songs, be it like Krisiun playing a Motörhead song, or something less familiar. "Hell man, I don't know. It is really natural for us." His voice is rising and his tone conveys his sincerity as he answers the question. "Maybe for you it is not interesting, but we grew up listening to bands like Motörhead, Venom, Morbid Angel and Slayer. They taught us how to play. I learnt drums by listening to those bands. It is the same for Alex and Moyses. We all learnt to be real metal fans and musicians from those bands. They are important to us. We like to show our fans who our influences are. That is it. We don't do it thinking the cover helps us. We cover bands that are our idols."

Not quite convinced, but sensing there is not much more to be gained from arguing the point the conversation is shepherded elsewhere. Seeing that the band is made up of three brothers, one has to ask how did mom and dad take to their sons getting into metal and eventually forming a band. Some things are universal apparently. "Nowadays they are really proud because they know we are serious. They know we have strong personalities and nothing will change. Back in the day, when we are starting out, they were worried. My mother was especially worried. She saw that we are learning to play the guitar, drum or whatever and was questioning us about our future. There was nothing she could do about it. She knew it was impossible to change us and our faith.
As to who the corruptor in the family was, "Alex is the oldest. Yeah, he corrupted Moyses and me. He was the first guy to get us drunk. He introduced me to weed. He was the guy who was buying the AC/DC, Judas Priest and Iron Maiden albums back in the day. He was the fucked up guy. It is his fault," quips Max.

How does it feel to be on the road touring with family members? "Sometimes you feel tired, sometimes. We have been doing this for such a long time that we don't worry about it. We just try to have a good time being on the road and playing. We argue sometimes with 'fuck yous' or 'you are not playing right' or whatever, but after five minutes we are friends again. We just try to enjoy ourselves whether we are on the road, in the studio or practising."

Finally, and no interview should end without asking a profound question, Max is asked why he believes Metallian is the world's best source for metal. uncomplicated answer, "simple, because it is the most metal one!"

Krisiun is following up the release of a CD and DVD with tours in North America, Europe and South America. There is also the possibility of a trip to Japan later this year, which will take the band all the way to the autumn's run of X-Mas shows in Europe with Six Feet Under.

If you enjoyed this, read Kronos

Krisiun