Words by Anselm Anderson
Brazilian thrash metal band Nervosa returns with another batch of raw, brutal, and honest songs, centred around politics, war, and religion. The band's sixth album, titled "Slave Machine," will be released on Friday, April 3rd via Napalm Records. The album picks up right where 2023's Jailbreak left off, with singer Prika Amaral still in top form after making her debut on that record. Her fierce, abrasive vocals rival those of any male singer with guttural growls, as she howls like a wolf on the hunt. The quintet are helped by the strong production skills of Martin Furia, best known for his work with German destroyers, Destruction. His attentive ear to detail brings out the menacing and hellacious feelings of the band as a whole.
I have been an admirer of the band ever since i saw them open for fellow Female Metal act, Burning Witches on tour a few years back. Their sound is crisp and emotional, layered over sharp, frenetic guitars, ferocious drumming and the combination between speed and thrash. Slave Machine makes no exception, as the band roar over twelve intense tracks over some of the things that have impacted us all over the past few years. As the world anchors on the brink of destruction, Nervosa articulate these thoughts in the only way they know how: Fast, Hard and ruthless!
That's enough of the build, let's get onto the review.
Slave Machine kicks off with the rhythmic patterns of tribal drums on "Impending Doom," which flow into bone-crushing riffs, pounding beats, and eerie guitar melodies that connect the verses.
The title track "Slave Machine" barely gives the listener a moment to breathe before hitting like a sledgehammer to the temples The drumming matches the vocals and guitars in intensity, while the choruses are catchier than on their previous release. As is often the case here, Amaral sounds like a woman possessed, howling over riffs that slice through you with precision. "Ghost Notes" builds the music through haunting passages, unsettling choruses, and an equally impressive guitar solo. The intensity gradually builds into a cascade of thick, bone-chilling riffs, searing solos, and unadulterated anger, as heard on tracks like "Beast of Burden", "You Are Not A Hero" and "Hate". The ladies brings an old-school thrash mentality with a modern edge, as they rip through this album. This album is 100% thrash metal without any ballads or instrumentals to break it up. The band comes across as serious and angry, with Slave Machine serving as an attempt at catharsis for them to release all their pent-up frustration. "Crawl for Pride" includes some thunderous dual guitar battles between Amaral and fellow guitarist Helena Kotina. The quintet brings some groove-orientated riffs on "Learn or Repeat" and "The Call", before wrapping things up with the sinister "Speak in Fire".
Overall, Nervosa have produced one of the most intense, personal and political metal albums of the year thus far. The women have improved on their songwriting, while writing tracks with more riffs, the musicianship continues to grow , like the chemistry between the five piece. 2026 is proving to be a good year for thrash metal albums, following the impressive showings of Exodus and Kreator.
Prika Amaral – Vocals, Guitars
Helena Kotina – Guitars
Hel Pyre – Bass
Emmelie Herwegh – Bass
Michaela Naydenova – Drums
NERVOSA online:
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Copyright: Anselm Anderson ©
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