I believe there is no Thrash fan who does not respect the Brazilian Metal scene and the bands it has given birth to (it still does). Of course, SEPULTURA is the first name that comes to mind (some will also recall SARCOFAGO) and many of the old-timers remember the alleged rivalry they had with SLAYER. KORZUS is a band that was formed around the same time period with SEPULTURA but for reasons I do not know did not climb the same number of steps in the publicity ladder. KORZUS count five full length albums and have already two live ones and one DVD. This means that we are dealing a most experienced band with a significant fan base.

So, KORZUS four years after the DVD release "Video Historia" returned to the studio and produced "Discipline Of Hate" that is the subjected of this review. Going through the album's tracklist one can see that the songs have pretty much the same time duration. To my mind this possibly means that the band follows a certain recipe in song creation and hence, no surprises are to be expected. The self titled song opens the album with a killer riff that marks the beginning of the Thrash attack. This riff sounds like it comes from a late EXODUS album (I was thinking of "Tempo Of The Damned") sending waves of energy to the startled listener. As the song moves to the middle break the lead guitars remind us why SLAYER became popular during the mid 80s. The high pitched notes and the extensive use of the guitar tremolo have something from Hanneman-King early works and this simply cannot fail. "Truth" is next and the sense of repetition strikes you hard. Apart from the very good guitar solo this track continues on the same EXODUS-esque path burying any hope for something original. Now, this is not always bad for an album; I mean you know what to expect before even pushing the play button in your CD player. Additionally, KORZUS bear all the Thrash virtues all the hard core fans love to have in their music; and that is cutting edge riffs, intense drum work (Rodrigo Oliveira does an excellent job here) and vocal chord tormenting vocals. What dominates KORZUS music is the solid rhythm section that will provide some quality headbanging time enhanced by a powerful production. Take for example the mid tempo "Raise Your Soul" and feast your ears on the energetic drum work, the sing along chorus and the additional SLAYER oriented guitar solos.

All in all, KORZUS did what they know best to do and that is produce a very good Thrash album. The downside here is the influences that have a distinct presence in every song spoiling a little bit the average listener's appetite. KORZUS seemed to produced a Thrash album following the how-to instructions without the slightest deviation from the already carved way. I strongly believe that this album is for the fans only and not for someone who wants to expand his musical boundary with something totally original.