Nervosa – Slave Machine
Nervosa – Slave Machine
Napalm Records
Release Date: 03/04/2026
Review by Oli Gonzalez
8/10
In every industry, you unfortunately have barriers to overcome and glass ceilings to break through. Barriers can sadly be caused by characteristics that shouldn’t matter but do. Gender being one of them. Brazil’s Nervosa broke the mould when they burst onto the scene just over 15 years ago as an all-conquering all-female force. Not just a gimmick though, they’ve toured all over the world and graced the stages of Hellfest, Wacken, Bloodstock and many more! Being based all the way in Brazil comes with its logistical challenges as well with the sheer amount of travel to navigate making it all the more impressive that they can command slots at such prestigious festivals. Having seen them live and in the flesh on their Thrash Of The Titans tour in late 2025, I can attest for their incredible live show. Now, “Slave Machine” marks their 6th studio album and the next step their evolution as a band.
‘Impending Doom’ kicks off the album in rather austere and dissonant fashion. Especially with the mysterious tribal drums and haunting chants making this feel like the start of some sickening occult ritual. Then the guitars come in, and then it begins. An absolute frenzy and monster of a thrash feast ensuring you’ll be snapping your neck in approval. Though there’s a sense of melody lurking within all this chaos, especially with the infectious and soaring chorus. It feels like the band never fully get to full gear and are holding back, ready to unleash hell when the time is right. That time may be during the albums title track ‘Slave Machine’, which ups the ante and the pace considerably with another ferocious thrash-death assault that’s abrasive as it is corrosive, but again keeps coming back to those glorious infectious choruses. As well as introducing the first of many scorching lead guitar solos (another coming later in ‘The New Empire’).
If you’re coming in search of riffs, you’ll be more than satiated with these two opening songs. Or anywhere else on the album for that matter.
Despite their thrash-death moniker, it feels as though the band explore an old school metalcore feel, especially in the likes of ‘Ghost Notes’ or ‘Crawl For Your Pride’, songs that blend opulent melody with crushing mechanically tight chuggy rhythms and heaviness. I mean, listen to either and see if it reminds you of Unearth or All That Remains. If you’re still convinced, listen to ‘Hate’ and see if you get that early metalcore feel, especially with that opening lead guitar riff. One that builds intrigue and tension before unleashing this in a devasting wall of cathartic pressure relief. This would be one to assemble the wall of death too before the inevitable carnage in the centre.
Prika is an absolute force of nature throughout the album, with her trademark growls as fierce as ever. ‘You Are Not A Hero’ offers perhaps the best non-obstructed examination of her vocals, especially during parts of the verse when it’s just the drums and her!
The approach to song writing is interesting, especially with the earlier songs in the album exploring more progressive and varied song structures. The later stages of the album seem to offer repeated bursts of 3 minute fits of rage, with perhaps ’30 Seconds’ or ‘The Call’’ being the best examples of songs that forego unnecessary foreplay and gives the people what they want with the nasty riffs they can snap their necks and thrash the furniture in the rooms to! This means that this will appeal to the age of music streaming as people have shorter attention spans and will also make songs more radio and playlist friendly. Though this comes at a cost; it feels like some are thrown together too hastily and not really having any distinguishing features from the rest of the album, and thus getting lost in the shuffle.
Production wise, this is spot on. Rough and ready, yet polished and crisp, it feels raw and believable though with clear care and thought having gone into this.
“Slave Machine” represents everything wonderful about Nervosa; the untamed banshee like aggression with infectious melody and instantly memorable anthems. “Slave Machine” should find itself on many people’s end of year lists come the end of 2026!
TRACKLISTING:
01. Impending Doom
02. Slave Machine
03. Ghost Notes
04. Beast Of Burden
05. You Are Not A Hero
06. Hate
07. The New Empire
08. 30 Seconds
09. Crawl For Your Pride
10. Learn or Repeat
11. The Call
12. Speak In Fire
LINKS:
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