NervoChaos / Veteran Brazilian Death merchants continue to surprise

Now in their 26th year, Brazilian Death Metal legends NervoChaos show no signs of slowing with their latest and 11th full-length, Chthonic Wrath. The band have been prolific in recent years, releasing an album every 12 months since 2021, and although the latest line-up is relatively new, with only drummer Eduardo Lane an original member from the outfit that began in 1996, they are now on their third album together following 2021’s Dug Up … Diabolical Reincarnations and last years All Colors of Darkness.

NervoChaos – Chthonic Wrath (Emanzipation Productions)

Release Date: 31 March 2023

Words: Paul Hutchings

Chthonic Wrath is a brute. A heaving mass of punishing, rolling riffs, battering drums and Brian Stone’s unique gruff vocal delivery. The opening salvo hits hard. Sons Of Sin leads the charge, a ferocious roar introducing the mayhem that follows, with the first four tracks delivered in around 12 minutes.

NervoChaos - Chthonic Wrath is a brute
NervoChaos bring it hard, and they bring it heavy.

NervoChaos don’t mess around. This is hyper-blasting into the stratosphere. And then, the buggers throw in a beautiful acoustic guitar interlude which throws you as it’s so unexpected. Performed by traditional Brazilian Researcher Ricardo Vignini, Tomb Mold is a pleasing opportunity to pause for breath after the frantic start.

There’s an earthy grit to NervoChaos. Their riffs are pure evil, generated by a band who don’t care about dirt under the fingernails. Hungry and relentless, the songs are delivered with a passion that can only be earned with years of dedication to the cause. They bring their A-game to this album with the driving rhythms of bassist Pedro Lemes whose low-end rumble could wake the dead.

There’s also a gnarly depth and maturity to their songwriting. The punishing bass drives their songs forward, with the guitars following the patterns. The pounding start of Torn Apart gives way to maniacal thrashing as the band smash through boundaries and genres. There’s a mixture of styles that permeates throughout the album, as it has done for many years. NervoChaos aren’t ashamed to wear their influences on their sleeve, and there are plenty to identify, all wrapped up pleasingly in their own sound.

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Beneath the bruising aural assault, there are some high-calibre players doing their thing. It’s often the case that Death Metal artists are dismissed, but they are some of the most skilled musicians, and the combined work of the dual guitarists Luiz “Quinho” Parisi and Woesley Johann is impressive. Edu Lane’s drumming is ferocious, a real powerhouse behind the kit.

There are plenty of songs to get stuck into here. It’s a weighty album with some brutal tracks. From Arrogance Of Ignorance, the spine-crushing Descending Into Madness and the blistering pace of the penultimate song Ouroboros, NervoChaos bring it hard, and they bring it heavy.

And even when you reach Weedeater, the final song, and think it might be a calming finish, you are hit by a one-minute finale that could strip paint. It’s heavy, aggressive, and just what you want NervoChaos to bring.

Sleeve Notes

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