Album Review: Nervosa – Jailbreak (Napalm Records)

Thrash frontrunners Nervosa present their new studio album, entitled Jailbreak, out September 29th, 2023 via Napalm Records. An album that marks a new chapter in the band’s history, as it’s their first record featuring founding member Prika Amaral as permanent vocalist.

It might be a new dawn for Nervosa, but the same high-powered thrashy heaviness that has made them such a beloved name in metal, is ever prevalent on this new record. Kicking off with the speeding and snarling heaviness of Endless Ambition. Nervosa delivering a crunching blast of noise that shows off the vocal power of Prika well.

Across the majority of the album, she is sounding devilish and it really helps give Nervosa an extra edge. It seems as though moving into the vocalist role has revitalised the band, amongst other changes, and that becomes even more apparent with the bullish brutality of Suffocare, the thrashing mania of Ungrateful, and the hard and heavy head-banger that is Seed of Death.

The latter track showcases an evolved Nervosa though, notable by the melodic introduction. It also happens to have one hell of an anthemic chorus too.

Thrash fans rejoice though, Nervosa are still predominately focused on providing fast, frenzied, and furious head-bangers. There’s no denying that this album is certainly a showcase of intensity and that continues in blood-pounding fashion with the title track. Before Nervosa lean into their emphatic death metal territories with Sacrifice, bust heads with the devastating speed of Behind the Wall, and the blood-thirstiness of Kill or Die.

It’s guest time now as Nervosa are joined by the impressive talents of Gary Holt on When the Truth Is a Lie and Lena Scissorhands on Superstition Failed. The former is a meaty number, oozing dark atmosphere, and featuring a blistering guitar solo. Whereas the latter is as savage as Nervosa come, with Lena Scissorhands adding her threatening aura to the track. Nervosa don’t need guests to make a ton of noise, but guests of this calibre certainly don’t take away from their abilities.

Abilities that continue to delight and impress as the album reaches its final stages and Gates to the Fall has a walloping great sound. Before Elements of Sin and Nail the Coffin put the boot in to anyone who still doubts Nervosa’s heavy qualities. Of course, there’s no-one that silly out there as Jailbreak is as ‘head-bangery’ as anyone could want it to be. The future has never looked brighter for Nervosa.

Nervosa – Jailbreak Track Listing:

1. Endless Ambition
2. Suffocare
3. Ungrateful
4. Seed of Death
5. Jailbreak
6. Sacrifice
7. Behind the Wall
8. Kill or Die
9. When the Truth Is a Lie (feat. Gary Holt)
10. Superstition Failed (feat. Lena Scissorhands)
11. Gates to The Fall
12. Elements of Sin
13. Nail the Coffin

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