Apoch's Metal Review - Krisiun: The Great Execution CD Review

Discography	Discography covers all information available up to day of review and is updated if future albums are reviewed.
Full-Length(s):	Black Force Domain (1995) • Apocalyptic Revelation (1998) • Conquerors of Armageddon (2000) • Ageless Venomous (2001) Works of Carnage (2003) • AssassiNation (2006) • Southern Storm (2008) • The Great Execution (2011)
EP(s):	Unmerciful Order (1994)
Split(s):	Curse of the Evil One / In Between the Truth (1993) • Krisiun / Harmony Dies (1993)
Demo(s):	The Plague (1992)
Compilation(s):	Curse of the Evil One / In Between the Truth (1993) • Krisiun / Harmony Dies (1993)
DVD(s):	Live Armageddon (2006)

Review

Krisiun has existed roughly twenty one years at this point. Over those years, the group has issued several full-length efforts and a small amount of miscellaneous material. This literal band of brothers have come a long way, and chances are good you've already heard something by them, whether you know it or not. And now, for a late 2011 release, Krisiun prepare to dominate the Metal world again with their latest Death Metal offering. The Great Execution marks their eighth full-length album, but is it going to be another solid release, or has time made an impact on the group?

In usual Krisiun fashion, The Great Execution has a pretty modern sounding audio quality, though it feels a bit restrained with a hint of a dirty sound to the guitars to the capture that groovey Death Metal sound. The guitars feel pretty strong and have a bit of a crushing distortion to them against a supporting bass guitar that's a little on the louder side and can be picked up in the mix, but doesn't really stand out too much as it's own seperate entity or layer to contribute to the overall sound. This is where the slightly restrained quality starts to come in, as you can't help but feel the audio is keeping all those instruments from being performed at their full potential. Of course, the vocals are the rhaspier, commanding shout that recent releases from this band has really pushed forward, coming off similar to that of a Vader offering, showing a good deal of range and adding to the often authoritive vibe of the songs. The drums are represented in both good and bad ways though. The cymbols crash loudly and really fit the music perfectly, especially when the guitars hammer away without much concern for the groovier chords, and the snares can be picked up nicely as well, making a good impact with their tighter sound, but the bass kicks have a click to them that comes through loud, but given the lower bass it would have been nice having them with a bit of a deeper sound to give the material a more blunt sound then what it already has. But, this doesn't mean they sound bad in the release, and still sound alright in the mix but leave you yearning for something a little more burdening.

The general atmosphere of the album is laid out nicely at the start of the release. "The Will Potency" is a catchy track that definitely feels like it carries that more intense and commanding sound well thanks to the loud and somewhat blunt instruments. The bass does show through a little bit here thanks to some of the less rich sections that rely solely on the groove of the music, but some of the more intense moments like the guitar solo and some faster parts really end hiding it a bit more then it should be. The overall slightly raw quality it earns from the music coming off a little restrained works for a more primal sound, though doesn't end up enhancing the final product of this song, or the tracks that follow. But this track, while establishing what to expect well, isn't even one of the better offerings to the album. Sure it's a strong track, but the title track "The Great Execution" is far more enjoyable thanks to it's uncompromising brutality and commanding presence that greatly dwarfs "The Will Potency" and many of the other groove based songs. Sure songs like that are still enjoyable on here, but the intensity of this track works better with the audio quality and the vocal performance as the band becomes far more intimidating, even finding the vocal approach to go a bit further into the territory of deeper gutturals with a faster pace that grips the listener by the throat with just enough of a catchy groove presence to make headbanging along mandatory as it continues to build up the intensity the further along you get with it, only to come crashing down to crush your soul with crawling, burdening heaviness.

Krisiun really do put their best foot forward when not focusing solely on groove filled material that gives a bit of an old Sepultura vibe. "The Extremist" is the prime example of this. The song's chaotic sound that goes from soul crushing slower crawling passages against blistering cacaphonies of machinegun-like blast beats fueled with instruments of pure intensity and rage really shine through with what the band is truly capable of when they come at the listener with full aggression. Of course you can't deny songs like "Blood of Lions" and even "Violentia Gladiatore" are both enjoyable experiences that grasp the more commanding approach of the music well. It's songs like these and "The Will Potency" that sadly sacrifice more of the intense and fury-driven sound of Krisiun for catchier material that's pretty good, but most of the time don't really make you feel the need to bang your head along to them, but rather just kick back and take it all in with a random bobbing of the head at some of the faster intense moments of the song that can find their way into the mix, such as the guitar solo.

One of the more notable elements of this album are some of the longer tracks and how the band keeps them fresh from start to finish. Much like the intensity of "The Extremist" that keeps building and shifting back to a crushing slower pace, "The Sword of Orion" makes for a fantastic track from the band that grabs you by the throat again with deeper gutturals and that growing commanding rage that is simply uncompromising. The just shy of eight minutes track sticks out like a sore thumb in the list of five plus to six and a half minute songs with it's track length, comparable only to the eight minute thirty nine second "Shawdows of Betrayal" [possibly "Shadows of Betrayal" but everything in the promo kit reads "Shawdows" so don't fault me if it's incorrect], but overall it truly delivers and really becomes one of the must hear songs off this recording. "Shawdows of Betrayal," however, does still have that somewhat commanding sound to it, but the entire song doesn't feel like anything special and still sticks with that heavier groove-based Death Metal approach, which is actually a bit of a letdown considering some of the more haunting atmospheres that the band incorporate into the track, giving off a sense of hopelessness that would be perfectly accentuated with a stronger focus on brutality and sheer intensity or aggression. The song isn't bad, but it just doesn't really have much to it that you can really go crazy over, again being a track that may have you bob your head at times, but that's about it, leaving you feeling like the band had missed a great opportunity to make an epic and sinister atmospheric track.

The only time that the intensity seems to feel more like a set back is during "Extincaos em Massa," and that's more due to the amount of energy involved in the song that takes it to simply over-the-top levels. The song isn't bad, but the additionally layered vocals of the normal shouting somewhat guttural style with higher screaming vocals seems to come out of nowhere and gives it a bit of a Gorerotted vibe that doesn't quite fit the sound of the band, as well as this album. But, even with that said, you will definitely find your head banging along to this track far more then some of the Groove heavy tracks that do appear here, so that's one positive thing about this out-of-nowhere experience.

Aside the random energetic fit of "Extincao em Massa" and the rather less-then-inspiring couple groove based Death Metal tracks, The Great Execution makes for another solid Krisiun album. The commanding authority is here throughout much of the release, and there are plenty of awe-inspiring cuts here that bludgeon away at you with pure intensity and anger that you simply cannot help but come back for more. This album shows Krisiun both at their best, and their most indifferent, which gives fans of all forms of the Death Metal style something to enjoy despite their tastes in the genre, which does work in the band's favor. But, that slightly restrained sound does end up huring some of those groove based tracks, really showing there compared to the generally louder sound and performance of the group in the more intense and faster songs here. If you're a fan of Krisiun, you simply will not be disappointed with The Great Executioner. It may have it's ups and downs but for the majority of that one hour and seven minute album length, you're given plenty of solid tracks that will leave you headbanging against your will and loving it.

Digital review copy of this release provided by:
Century Media Records.

Submit to Social Networks