Unlike the vast majority of their peers who like to proclaim their “brutality” and promises of heaviness, few actually deliver the goods with the power and conviction of KRISIUN. KRISIUN doesn’t fuck around, mince words, or waste time. Their sole mission is to unleash track after violent track, and on their seventh album Southern Storm the band keeps the barrage coming and the ferocity level high. Ably following up the album’s effective predecessor Assassination, Southern Storm offers up heapings of blasting speed, all the while tempering the over-the top insanity with strong memorable grooves. These grooves help create powerful hooks that serve as an effective counter balance to the, at times, relentless speed. Opening the gates of hell with “Slaying Steel,” the beatings just keep coming hard and fast with almost no respite in sight (save for the haunting elegant acoustic interlude “Black Wind”) towards the end. An album in the truest sense, it’s difficult to pick out any highlights as the album flows extremely well from song to song, peaking and descending at will. As more and more death metal bands seem to be on the decline, the KRISIUN legion only seems to be getting stronger with each new album. Hands down the most punishing release of the year. (Century Media Records)