27.2.2020 Nervosa @ Suvilahti TBA, Helsinki

On 27 February 2020, the Brazilian thrash metal act NERVOSA was scheduled to play at Suvilahti TBA. The pure ferocity, and brutality that this trio brings to the stage, was definitely one of the reasons I definitely wanted to cover this show, and they surely dominated the venue. Check out our photo gallery here.

I arrived at Suvilahti TBA a little bit before NERVOSA was scheduled to play. The band was supported by the Finnish heavy metal act TYRANTTI, something that suited very well with them. Unfortunately, due to a conflicting schedule, I didn’t have the chance to catch their show, but given the amount of TYRANTTI shirts, and the fact that everyone seemed to be in a relaxed mood, I’m pretty confident it was a great show. Nevertheless, I would like to mention that I have seen this band a couple of times, and I totally recommend anyone who likes oldschool heavy metal, and NWOBHM-influenced music, to check out these guys!

Founded in February 2010 by Fernanda Lira, NERVOSA has managed to catch global attention due to their rendition of thrash metal. Their previous album “Downfall of Mankind” has had them quite occupied, with touring all over the world. This is the third time the trio is playing in Finland, and the first time I managed to see them. The packed venue showed me how well-beloved this band is in Finland.

NERVOSA kicked off their show with the energetic opener from their latest studio effort “Horrordome.” Right from the start its clear that these ladies produce a hell of a lot of sound, and it’s quite a surprise the band only consists out of three members. The band is mostly led by vocalist and bass player Fernanda Lira, who captivates the audience with her enormous energy, dynamic performance, and often scary facial expressions. At times, I question whether Lira is the most metal performer I have ever encountered in my life. The first song is followed by the furious “Justice Be Done,” with its fast and aggressive riffs, the band manages to capture the audience’s need for a moshpit. Those who did not want to push or slam anyone around were preoccupied with banging their heads or pumping their fists in the air.

The thrash fest continues with the fierce “Intolerance Means War,” a song that not only has enraging riffs but also a great political message, especially after Lira explains how intolerance is not allowed by NERVOSA. At some point during the set, Lira mentions how she was missing her own bass, due to airport strikes. Even though she supported the strikes, it seems like she was genuinely happy somehow the problem got solved. Later on, it turned out that the replacement bass was of no one other than Jyri Helko of the Helsinki-based OCEANHOARSE. Needless to say, he provided her with an excellent instrument where she got to play her fuming bass lines on.

The band went through their whole repertoire, even though most of the material came from their latest record “Downfall Of Mankind,” they also carefully selected other classics from their other albums. The setlist altogether was a nice balance of seething tracks, and groovier tracks, making it an excellent way of keeping the audience engaged in however they wanted to experience the show. Due to the average 3 minute length of the songs, NERVOSA was able to play sixteen songs for us, they ended their wild set with “Into Moshpit,” completely living up to its title.

All-in-all, NERVOSA never ceased to amaze me with their hopping mad riffs, kick-ass stage attitude, and overall grande performance. This definitely is a band looking out for, as they are gaining more popularity across Europe. Hopefully, the band makes a smooth return to Finland someday soon, this time with their respective instruments!

Article and photos by Laureline Tilkin

Setlist

  1. Horrordome
  2. Justice Be Done
  3. Intolerance Means War
  4. Bleeding
  5. Arrogance
  6. Hostages
  7. Enslave
  8. Time Of Death
  9. Kill the Silence
  10. Raise Your Fist!
  11. Vultures
  12. Masked Betrayer
  13. Fear, Violence and Massacre
  14. Death!
  15. Never Forget, Never Repeat
  16. Into Moshpit

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