NERVOSA

Brazilian thrash mavens, Nervosa, are set to release their follow-up album, Slave Machine, following their 2023 critically acclaimed release Jailbreak. Their aggressive journey continues and doesn’t let up for a minute. Founding guitarist Prika Amaral, now established as their singer on their last album, brings an identifiable vocal performance and stability to the lineup.

First track ‘Impending Doom’ sets the bar high with smashing riffs and aggressive vocals, adding a melodic touch to the pandemonium. The thrash chug on this song is fantastic. The title track ‘Slave Machine’, one of the first two early release singles, gives fans a lesson that speed kills. What a fast song and it’s sure to be a live staple in their set. ‘Ghost Notes’, the second early release single, blasts heavy riffs, creating more of a classic thrash vibe. Prika’s heavy vocal performance is spot on, matching the intensity of this track, and the guitar solo is one of the best on this album. ‘Beast Of Burden’ delivers a harsher vocal attack, bordering on more of a death/thrash vibe, and is one of my personal favourites as it’s heavy with purpose and controlled chaos. ‘You Are Not A Hero’ has an anthemic chorus that changes things up and mixes perfectly with the heavy guitars, showcasing how musically gifted this band is. ‘Hate’ has a bone-chilling opening riff that is absolutely brilliant, and when Prika’s harsher vocals cut in, the song explodes with another great chorus reinforcing the brutality and heaviness of the album.

‘The New Empire’ is a massive guitar-driven track with a cool drum and bass mix, while more death growls and vocals keep the heaviness top of mind, making this pure 2026 thrash that stands apart from what is out there. ’30 Seconds’ reaches more heights on this album with a more upbeat, albeit heavy sound. ‘Crawling For Your Pride’ is a darker journey and shows off Nervosa’s talented songwriting as they delve into social criticism that is very topical today. ‘Learn Or Repeat’ continues down a darker path with harsh vocals that highlight the track, while the focused groove creates another unique sound that is sure to be a live classic and another personal favourite of mine. ‘The Call’ concentrates on a more classic thrash blueprint, and what I love about Nervosa is that they can explore newer thrash directions while paying homage to the genre, making this easily one of my favourite thrash songs released this year from any band. Last track ‘Speak In Fire’ explodes into a heavy repeating riff that punches you in the face, and another traditional-sounding thrash song with evil-sounding vocals finishes this album off on a high.

Nervosa, being a modern thrash band, not only relies heavily on cross-genre representation between death and thrash metal but also pays direct homage to bands that came before them. They create a musical experience that will transfer to a live show format, which is a real treat for fans. This is easily one of my favourite thrash metal releases so far in 2026, and that’s up against some giant releases. Their exploration and refusal to settle make their sound fresh and exciting. Slave Machine is set to release on April 4th, 2026 via Napalm Records.