Nervosa

Nervosa is a thrash metal band from São Paulo, Brazil. It forms in 2010 and develops a style rooted in thrash metal and death metal, with strong ties to the female metal scene and the wider thrash metal scene. The band tours extensively and builds a reputation for material with its own identifiable approach.

History and releases

Prika Amaral starts the band in February 2010. Fernanda Lira joins on bass and vocals in July 2011, at which point the group begins working professionally, writing, recording and performing as a full line-up. In March 2012 the band releases the video for “Masked Betrayer”, which draws significant attention online and leads to a YouTube honour. Soon afterwards Nervosa signs to the Austrian label Napalm Records.

The band plays more than 50 shows in 2012, including dates with Exodus, Raven, Grave, Samael, Exumer and Artillery. After a period of drummer changes, Pitchu Ferraz joins in February 2013. Nervosa continues touring across Brazil and later abroad, including a North and Northeast Brazilian tour, and shows with Korzus, Ratos de Porão and Destruction.

In 2014 the group finishes its first full-length album, Victim of Yourself, a 12-track release with cover art by Andrei Bouzikov and booklet artwork by Rafael Romanelli. Napalm Records issues the album in Europe and North America, with other labels and distributors handling South America, Japan and Russia. Vinyl editions also appear in several colours. Promotion for the album includes the videos “Death!” and “Into Moshpit”, and the record receives favourable coverage in metal magazines in Europe, the United States, Japan and Brazil. The resulting touring cycle runs through 2014 and 2015, including dates in 17 Brazilian states, seven Latin American countries, a European run of 51 shows in 60 days across 16 countries, and appearances at festivals such as Summer Breeze, Brutal Assault, Metal Days and Obscene Extreme.

The band first plays in the United States in 2016, beginning with performances on the 70000 Tons of Metal cruise and continuing with a West Coast and Southern tour. That year it also tours Mexico, Puerto Rico and Peru. In 2016 Nervosa records Agony in California and Oregon with Brendan Duffey, with mixing and mastering by Andy Classen. Napalm Records plans the album’s worldwide release for June 2016. The band plays more than 160 shows that year, including European touring with Destruction and dates alongside Flotsam & Jetsam and Enforcer.

Luana Dametto joins the drums in 2017 and takes part in European touring with Destruction and with Venom Inc. and Suffocation, as well as the World in Agony tour across Europe and Latin America. Downfall of Mankind follows in 2018 on Napalm Records. In 2020 Fernanda Lira and Luana Dametto leave to pursue other projects.

Line-up

Prika Amaral handles guitars and backing vocals, and also lead vocals in the band’s earlier period and again from 2022. Helena Kotina joins on guitars in 2021. Hel Pyre plays bass from 2023, and Michaela Naydenova plays drums from 2023.

Former members include Fernanda Terra, Karen Ramos, Fernanda Lira, Jully Lee, Pitchu Ferraz, Luana Dametto, Eleni Nota, Mia Wallace and Diva Satánica.