Text and photos by: Jéssica Marinho
After announcing their lineup, Nervosa revealed their new band through the music video for their new single, “Endless Ambition,” released by Napalm Records. But what everyone was waiting for was to see the band in action, to see what a live show would be like, and yes, we were able to check it out in person.
The band began a European tour last week, starting on May 5th in Linköping, Sweden, and ending on May 27th in Northampton, England. The second show took place on April 6th at the Inferno Festival in Oslo, Norway.
The show took place on the festival's smallest stage, the John Dee, which didn't dampen the enthusiasm of the headbangers despite the 3-degree weather that night. It felt like a show in Brazil, with the contagious energy of the fans eagerly awaiting Nervosa and their new lineup, which now features founding guitarist Prika Amaral as vocalist, Helena Kotina (guitar), Michaela Naydenova (drums), and Hel Pyre, bassist who, as the band explained earlier, will play most of the group's shows while Mia Wallace is unable to fully rejoin.
I confess that the best feeling is meeting up with colleagues and being able to speak Portuguese, and I felt that while the band was setting up the stage and after the show. Promptly at 8:30 PM, the girls took the stage with the same vibe as always, that positive, warm energy and female empowerment, led by Prika Amaral. It was possible to notice the slight nervousness of the girls, who are now part of one of the biggest all-female bands in Brazil, but that didn't stop them from delivering an explosive show with the old-school of Brazilian metal that everyone already knows.
Now with two guitars, the band's sound and stage interaction became more dynamic. The new guitarist, Helena Kotina, already felt at home after replacing Mia Wallace on bass during the Latin American tour, and interacted frequently with Prika, who also made a great debut as vocalist. Prika continues to headbang her enormous blonde hair between songs, showcasing her guitar technique and, this time, singing and proving she can handle this new challenge.
The setlist was short but well-crafted, delivering a well-selected mix of older songs like “Death”, “Kill the Silence” and “Masked Betrayer” and songs from their latest album such as “Perpetual Chaos”, “Venomous” and “Guided by Evil”. With only nine songs, the show went by too quickly, leaving the audience wanting more, and even after it ended, the crowd waited for a possible encore, which couldn't happen – as Cannibal Corpse was beginning their performance on the main stage.
Anyone who thinks the vocals had many effects on the studio recording is mistaken, because Prika managed to deliver exactly what was seen in the new single "Endless Ambition," with discipline and the guttural, false chord , and scream – acquired during singing lessons with vocalist Mayara Puertas. Prika Amaral continues to be a focused and determined artist, embracing this challenge, and couldn't have made a better choice to maintain Nervosa's standard, break personal and professional barriers, and please the fans.
Congratulations to Prika Amaral for once again finding new bandmates so quickly and keeping Nervosa not only alive, but making it even better in the eyes of many, embracing all obstacles and maintaining the national scene and inspiring girls all over the world. Brazilian fans are eager to see this live performance.
Nervosa continues with shows across Europe, with recordings for their new album finalized in January, and will soon reveal information about this release.
Check out the full setlist:
1. Perpetual Chaos
2. Kings of Domination
3. People of the Abyss
4. Death!
5. Kill the Silence
6. Venomous
7. Endless Ambition
8. Masked Betrayer
9. Guided by Evil
