The group emerged in mid-1983. Their first appearance dates back to October of that year, with a lineup featuring Marcello Pompeu (vocals), Marcello Nicastro "NICA" (guitar), Silvio Golfetti (bass), and Luiz Maurício S. Oliveira "Brian" (drums). The band's first provisional name was Hand Of Doom, taken from a song by the legendary band Black Sabbath, which was used only so they could participate in the "1st Musical Encounter of Colégio Costa Braga". Afterwards, they chose the name Korzus, which was taken literally from the door of drummer Zema's closet, written by guitarist Marcos Kekas from the band Ethan.
Two years later, already featuring Silvio, Dick, and Pompeu, alongside Eduardo Toperman (guitar) and Maurício "Brian" (drums), they made their recording debut with the tracks Guerreiros do Metal and Príncipe da Escuridão on the compilation SP Metal 2, released by Baratos Afins.[1]
The song "Guerreiros do Metal" quickly became an anthem among headbangers of the time and served to project Korzus into the Brazilian national scene, resulting in the release of the album Korzus ao Vivo (Devil Discos) in 1986.[2]
In the following year, Toperman and Brian left the band, and drummer Zema Paes joined. This lineup recorded the band's first studio album, titled Sonho Maníaco (Devil Discos). In 1987, after a series of shows across Brazil, the suicide of drummer Zema occurred, which was a shock to the band and the national metal scene. His replacement, Roberto Sileci "Betão", was recruited at the same time that Silvio started sharing guitar duties with Marcello Nicastro "NICA".[citation needed]
During this phase, the band began writing in English and released the album Pay For Your Lies (Devil Discos) in 1989.[3]
However, the definitive milestone for the band came in 1991 with Mass Illusion (Devil Discos), which led Korzus to play numerous shows and spawned their first music video for the song Agony. In April 1992, their first international concert tour took place, named the Mass Illusion European Tour 92, with dates in France, Italy, England, and Germany.[citation needed]
Despite the great reception and more shows in Brazil, in 1993, drummer "Betão" was replaced by Ricardo Confessori (Angra, Shaman, and Garcia & Garcia), who stayed until the end of the year and yielded his position to Fernando Schaefer "Fernandão". Around the same time, Marcello Nicastro "NICA" left the band to pursue a solo career, being signed by Eldorado Records (Runaway Records label).[citation needed]
The new period as a quartet consisted of a few shows until the arrival of Marcelo Nejen "Soldado". In 1995, KZS was released, an album produced by Steve Evetts (who had produced works for bands like Sepultura, Symphony X, M.O.D., Skid Row, Whiplash, and Misfits, among others), featuring the standout tracks "Internally" and "Namesake", which received music videos.[citation needed]
In December 1996, they undertook their first tour in the United States, playing alongside Biohazard and S.O.D.. In 1998, further lineup changes occurred with the departure of "Soldado" and Fernandão, replaced by Heros Trench and Rodrigo Oliveira, respectively. That year, they were a national highlight at the Monsters Of Rock festival, which led to the release of the live CDLive At Monsters Of Rock, featuring live tracks and studio bonus songs. The event included bands such as Dorsal Atlântica (RJ), Glenn Hughes, Savatage, Dream Theater, Saxon, Manowar, Megadeth, and Slayer.[citation needed]
Their subsequent album, Ties Of Blood (2004),[4][5] put the band back at the top tier of the national scene, with Korzus embarking on an extensive promotional tour. This work featured guest appearances by vocalist André Matos on the track "Evil Sight" and guitarist Andreas Kisser on several tracks.[citation needed]
In 2006, Korzus released their first DVD, titled Video História, containing twenty-nine tracks.[citation needed]
In 2007, Marcelo "Soldado" Nejen was invited to temporarily replace Silvio Golfetti, who was undergoing treatment for his left arm due to a fracture sustained years earlier. André Curci (Threat, Musica Diablo) also served as a temporary replacement.[citation needed]
In 2010, after a six-year hiatus without any new compositions, Korzus released the album Discipline of Hate. The work was released worldwide by the German label AFM Records. Initially, the work contained thirteen tracks, but different bonus tracks were introduced in the editions for Brazil, the United States, Japan, and Europe.[citation needed]
The year 2011 was very productive for the band; in February they embarked on a seventeen-show European tour alongside the Hungarian group Ektomorf, and also in February, their presence was confirmed at the 2011 Rock in Rio festival[6] alongside major names in world music. Also in 2011, the band contributed a song to the soundtrack of the documentary Brasil Heavy Metal.[citation needed]
In December 2019, the book Korzus - Guerreiros do Metal, authored by Maurício Panzone, was released, covering the band's history from the 1980s to the present day.[14][15]
In April 2021, they released the song "You Can't Stop Me", which addresses themes such as bullying and "brings a strong message about human conduct".[16][17][18]
In May 2024, guitarist Antônio Araújo announced his amicable departure from the group after sixteen years of tenure. The decision was motivated by logistical family issues, such as his return to the city of Recife, and the need to focus entirely on his other band, Matanza Ritual.[23] Later, in November 2025, the band officially announced the departure of guitarist Heros Trench, who had been part of the group for 27 years. The cycle was closed in pursuit of creative and artistic renewal.[24]
The group structured a new phase in their career and, on 2 April 2026, officially announced their new lineup with the addition of guitarists Jean Patton (ex-Project46) and Jessica Falchi. To solidify this new moment, Korzus released a brand new single and music video for the track "No Light Within".[25][26]
Band members
Current members
Marcello Pompeu - lead vocals (1983–present) Founding Member
Dick Siebert - bass (1984–present)
Rodrigo Oliveira - drums (1997–present)
Jean Patton - guitar (2026–present; touring/session musician 2022, 2024–2026)
Jessica Falchi - guitar (2026–present)
Past members
Maurício Brian - drums (1983–1986) Founding Member
