Family Extremes: Krisiun

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"ALMOST" ANSWERED KRISIUN vocalist-bassist Alex Camargo when asked if he's ever punched anyone in the face for calling his band The Jonas Brothers of extreme metal.

Unlike the teen-pop kingpins, however, Krisiun doesn't make easy listening music. For the past 19 years, Camargo and his brothers Moyses Kolesne (guitars) and Max Kolesne (drums) have played pure death metal. The group's last album, 2008's "Southern Storm" (Century Media), is just as pulverizing as its first, 1995's "Black Force Domain" (Century Media).

The band of bros are road warriors, too, forever pounding the pavement and racking up huge amounts of mileage in vans around the world. Yet Camargo is just as enthused about being in a band today as when Krisiun started in the southernmost state of Brazil, Rio Grande do Sul, in 1990.

"Motivation is the key," Camargo said. "We started this thing and we wanna finish it. We still have a passion for what we do. It's been a challenge, especially when you're playing extreme music, but as long you're motivated, we're good to go. Whenever we start feeling tired and miserable, we'll know it's time to go home, time to quit. But up to now, we still feel motivated, and the passion for what we do is the reason we press on."

It actually helps that Krisiun is a family project, too.

"With bands, I know how hard it is to keep the lineup, keep the ideas flowing together," Camargo said. "But whenever we have problems, we clear it out right away. We're not turning our backs to each other and walking away. We have issues like any other band, but we solve the problems right away. The music is our passion,and we pretty much have the same ideas and tastes."

That doesn't mean the boys don't sometimes fight like brothers, too.

"Sometimes you just get tired of seeing those guys, but it's no big deal," Carmago said. "The touring thing, you have to be ready. You have to understand people's qualities and faults, and we 're all a bunch of human beings, so it's about understanding each other. Sometimes we get on each other's nerves, but we go for it no matter what."

Growing up in South America, Camargo and Co. looked upon the success of fellow Brazilian extreme-metal gods Sepultura with admiration. On "Southern Storm," Krisiun pays tribute to the band with a cover of 1994's "Refuse/Resist."

"We're proud of those boys," Camargo said. "We're not friends or anything, but we respect those guys. They opened the doors. We felt like it was time to pay tribute to the band. Most people would expect us to play an early song from Sepultura — more like a fast track — but we wanted to bring that atmosphere when they were pretty big — just as big as Metallica or Slayer in '96, '97. We feel a bit sad with what's going on [with Sepultura] these days. I don't think they're playing as good of music as they used to."

Back when Sepultura started in 1984, and even when Krisiun officially commenced, metal was still a difficult proposition in Brazil because of lack of access to gear and music.

"Things are a little bit different now regarding having a band or buying an instrument. Kids can't afford stuff now, but back in the day things were just rough. The politics and the poverty definitely have an influence on the music," Camargo said.

Brazil was also known more for acoustic music than electrified explosions, but Krisiun have managed to play around the world during its two decades together, while not ignoring its roots. "Black Wind" from "Southern Storm" is the band's latest example of paying homage to Brazil's world-renown acoustic-guitar music.

"The acoustic-guitar thing is very popular in Brazil, and Moyses has been practicing that since he was a kid," Camargo said. "It fits with the music we do; it's dark. It's organic music, and guitar playing is a big part of Brazilian culture. Since we were kids, our parents were playing traditional Brazilian music."

Forget those pasty Jonas get-togethers: Camargo-Kolesne family reunions must be an extreme samba-metal blast.

» Jaxx, 6355 Rolling Rd., Springfield, Va.; Destruction, Mantic Ritual and Krass Judgment, Mon., April 6, 6 p.m., $23; 703-569-5940.