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NERVOCHAOS
The Art Of Vengeance

Cogumelo (2014)
Rating: 8/10

With its rather amateurish comic art cover I was expecting a rather comedic yet annoying revival thrash metal opus from the sound of Brazilian extreme metallers NervoChaos. Surprisingly, what we do get is a rather clamming, punishing slab of weighty death / thrash metal – The Art Of Vengeance being the sixth offering from this quartet, which formed back in 1996.

If you’re after a volatile chunk of feisty metal then I suggest you check out this 12-track opus, which is bolstered by the hoarse growls of guitarist Guiller. He does a fine job of adding that extra dose of hostility as his cohorts serve up a fast, weighty composition that is as versatile as it is aggressive.

With the opening cut ‘The Harvest’ and even more so ‘For Passion Not Fashion’, we’re treated to a belligerent blend of what could best be described as muscular groove metal which works well with punkier episodes and catchy, traditional metal escapades. Yet through all this accessibility, there is a strong underground flavour as one would expect from a South American death metal unit. Infectious gang chants, weighty percussion courtesy of Eduardo Lane and some deep, festering rhythms provided by Guiller and fellow guitarist Quinho suggest some sort of doom-laden rapport with bass juggernaut Felipe Freitas.

At their slowest, NervoChaos vomits out a macabre, punk-crusted grind flecked with melancholic solos and immense crushing potency, but as a faster animal the quartet is equally prolific and diverse, churning out the feverish thrash assault of ‘Betrayed’. In contrast, however, we have the ominous strains of ‘The Devil’s Work’ with its rusty, turgid climax of slug-like riffs and infrequent drum stabs, and also ‘Blood Ritual’, which is served up with instantly memorable menace and a working bass that trundles through the dirty haze of bellowing extremity.

Indeed, NervoChaos is such a masterful act at combing varying styles that one can only marvel at the chaotic passages which slip effortlessly into the grimier grinds of morbidity. In fact, the cover just doesn’t do this opus justice because NervoChaos is a far darker force than the art suggests, expertly oozing out a threatening thrash bestiality with the result being such putrid creations as ‘Rotten Moralismo’ – another splendidly catchy piece of decomposed meat. When coupled with, say, ‘Ghost Of The Past’ and its intense chugging, this means that this album is a well-rounded expression of brutality which is at once instant to the ears and yet always bruising.

Neil Arnold

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