Review by Greg on October 25, 2026.

I don't think I need to lecture you about Violator, but a little preamble is necessary. I do think these Brazilian maniacs have always been respected more for their attitude and historical significance (the impact they had on the thrash resurgence speaks for itself, after all) than for their discography. Which isn't a bad thing in itself, but everybody remembers Chemical Assault, while their second album Scenarios Of Brutality is so neglected I've been periodically forgetting about its existence over the years, almost like some sort of Mandela effect. The explanation for that, or at least a big part of it, lies in the timing – seven full years had passed, and the modern scene had moved well beyond being just a rehash of past glory – which means the guys didn't keep their momentum rolling. Or probably couldn't, considering how their career developed...

Be that as it may, I still didn't know what to expect from it, even if I could be reasonably confident that Violator aren't the kind of band to drastically alter their style from one album to another. Indeed, Scenarios Of Brutality is a typical sophomore from this standpoint, as it tries to give a fresher spin to Chemical Assault's relentless thrashing, with minor tweaks applied to it. It works, and if it doesn't seem like a lot of effort, well, any band harkening back to the past so much is only as good as their riffs are. And, in this regard, Capaça and Cambito are definitely above average. Naturally, the whole band isn't as ferocious as they would be a decade later on Unholy Retribution, but what they lack in originality they make up for with energy. I'd pick the cleverly titled 'Respect Existence Or Expect Resistance' as the overall best cut, even if it doesn't top 'Atomic Nightmare' off the debut, and the pair 'Echoes Of Silence'-'Endless Tyranny' as a close second, but there isn't a real stinker, just less inspired moments. For example, the instrumental 'Death Descends (upon This World)' serves no real purpose (just like 'Ordered to Thrash', after all), and the refrains of 'Dead To This World' and 'Colors Of Hate' are just too pedestrian, which in the former's case is particularly a shame since it's arguably their most violent song ever. Meanwhile, 'Unstoppable Slaughter' and 'Waiting To Exhale' are just a bit too long, since the album is mostly a continuous skank beat from beginning to end.

Regarding vocals, Poney Ret has never been among my all-time favourite frontmen, and here he's no exception. It's worth mentioning that he started moving towards the cleanish punk yell he still uses today, and he's surely less piercing than before, but also still average and eventually slightly unnerving. Apparently there are some Malcom X samples scattered around, which also signals the band's will to tackle social/political/antireligious topics, rather than just talking about how awesome thrashing and moshing are for 40 minutes straight.

Overall, I'd say you can safely mention Scenarios Of Brutality in the same conversation as Chemical Assault. It's unfair that it was so overlooked, although it wasn't really what the world was needing back then.

Rating: 7.3 out of 10