NERVOSA Overcomes Lineup Changes, Turns Its Attention To North America

By David E. Gehlke

On the line with BLABBERMOUTH.NET a few days before they catch a flight for their first North American headlining tour, NERVOSA founding member, guitarist/vocalist Prika Amaral and drummer Gabriela Abud sound equally excited as they are consumed with the logistics of such an undertaking. While the Brazilian death thrashers previously visited the territory as support for German thrashers DESTRUCTION in 2022, they are aware that doing a tour with their name atop the marquee is something entirely different — and a big step toward further establishing themselves on these shores in support of their 2023 studio album, "Jailbreak", the band's first with Amaral on vocals.

NERVOSA's lineup turnover has occasionally overshadowed its studio output, a happening that was illuminated when bassist/vocalist Fernanda Lira and drummer Luna Dametto bolted in 2019 to form CRYPTA. The two competing outfits have primarily kept it cordial, and as Prika would share in the below chat, there's no need to rehash the past. For NERVOSA, it's simply down to writing music and getting on the road.

Blabbermouth: It takes a lot of work for an international band to break into North America. Can you describe the path NERVOSA has taken to get here and what you expect from the tour?

Prika: "This is one of the reasons I'm excited for this tour. We just did one tour, which was two years ago with DESTRUCTION. This will be our first headline tour. We took a lot of time to come back to the U.S. This time, we've put a lot of effort into bringing something special for the people. We are working very hard. Before a tour, there's always a lot of stress, especially with all the documents, so when we start the tour, it's time for us to relax and enjoy things. We really wanted to make this tour the most special one. That's why we're doing V.I.P. We've never done this before. We're bringing extra merchandise and planning to play different setlists with songs we've never played before. We're trying to mix old songs with the new songs so all the fans that have followed us from the beginning will recognize these songs."

Blabbermouth: Prika, you took over the lead vocal role last year, and you are still playing guitar. How's that been going? And, how has it reshaped NERVOSA?

Prika: "It's something that surprised me in many ways. I never planned to be a singer. I've had a lot of opportunities to do it before, but I wasn't interested. I didn't see myself as a singer. When the time came, I realized it was something that was needed for NERVOSA. I do everything for NERVOSA. I said, 'Okay, I cannot accept this.' I called a friend of mine and asked her what she thought about it. She said, 'Of course. I think it will be a smart move. You are totally able to do it. You've done backing vocals.' That was true, but I was only doing low vocals. I said, 'Okay, but I have to learn how to do the highs and mids.' We are a thrash metal band, and everything that was done in our music was done with high notes. She said, 'Yeah, it should be easy. You have the technique.' I did four classes with her and started to do it. It was easy. Of course, I had a lot of insecurities about whether I could play and sing like this. When I did the first rehearsal, it was so natural. Everything started to go so smoothly. I was surprised, like, 'What the fuck? It feels like I've done this for years.' I was confused. The girls were looking at me, like, 'What's going on?' I said, 'Everything is so easy.' They started laughing at me and said, 'Let's see on tour.' I was doubtful about it, but when the tours started, I followed all the tips and everything that was necessary to be in good shape to sing. At the end of the tour, I saw it was possible. I feel super-happy with this position. I feel closer to the fans. They can recognize me since I've been here since the beginning. It was something really nice that surprised me a lot. I'm enjoying it. We are already planning different things for the next album. I'm learning different techniques. It was a door that opened for me to a new world. It's a wonderful world and I'm discovering everything. It's brought me a lot of inspiration."

Blabbermouth: The band, of course, has been through its share of lineup changes — some that were pretty notable. Do you feel like you've been able to safely put all of that behind you?

Prika: "It's an important topic. I feel happy when they ask me. There's a lot of 'talking,' like, people think something is there, but it's not that. It doesn't matter. I'm not giving excuses, but the fact is, everyone has their private lives. Everyone who already has a band experiences exactly the same thing. They always compare us and say, 'THE ROLLING STONES had the same lineup for ages.' Yes, of course, but that was a different time. They have been friends since childhood. Now, we don't know each other. We get to know each other through the internet. We have different lives. They've never had such an experience. Sometimes, you have people who think they want something and they experience it, then they face the problems that are there. One of the problems is when you miss your boyfriend and feel unsafe about money. Some months, you have a lot of money; some months, you have almost no money. You never know how much you're going to earn. It makes you think about it. I want to keep it going with the music, but not in this way. The music is the most important thing. I don't care what other people say about us because they know what happened. I won't open up and expose people. I don't think it's fair. People can make mistakes. I share things only if it's essential. Apart from that, I prefer to keep it between us. I don't have a problem with any ex-member of the band. I don't think they have a problem with NERVOSA. It's just a different way of thinking and they choose what's better for them. It's all good. There are no problems there. We need to be happy and do what we want to do. Life is too short."

Blabbermouth: Being a Brazilian band has its challenges, yet you've managed to work your way through the scene. Can you share your side of what it's like and the obstacles you encounter?

Prika: "I have to say some stuff: From one side, it's hard to come from Brazil. We are far from the world, but at the same time, we have a powerful metal scene over here. Also, now, because of the internet, Brazil's population is really big. We are doing a good job in Brazil. It's kind of easy to get attention on social media because we have a lot of people in Brazil. This helps to attract people from other countries. If you are from a small country in Europe, I think it's harder. For example, in Europe, there are more festivals. We are in contact with the big bands and with more musicians that we admire. In Brazil, everything is far and expensive. Bands don't come over here that often. Yeah, we are half Brazilian and half Greek, but we are all living in Greece. Me, Gabriela, Helena [Kotina, guitar] and Elina [Papadogianni, a.k.a. Hel Pyre, bass] live in the same block, five minutes from each other. We are back to the vibe from the beginning. We are used to playing with the neighbors, like the people we went to school with. We are back to this vibe and we love it. I think that was missing from the other lineups. We are living in totally different cities and countries. It was very hard to have rehearsals. It was manageable. It was not a problem, but to be all together and close to each other, we can do more."

Blabbermouth: Speaking of Brazilian bands, how do you feel about SEPULTURA's retirement announcement?

Prika: "It's very sad. They are the band that most inspired NERVOSA. They're an influence for all of us. It's very sad to see a band retire. But, being a fan, we all expect that they will come back with the original lineup. It's something everyone is talking about. They are all brilliant musicians and I'm sure they will not stop and keep doing other projects. We will keep following them because we are fans, but also friends with them. We are proud to have played one show with them in Peru. It was an excellent feeling. We were proud of the guys, but we were like, 'Come on. This band cannot end.' I respect the wishes of other musicians. I know they have wishes for their lives. Life is short, and people want to do something different. I'm really here, sitting down, watching them for what they will do with [founding member, guitarist/vocalist] Max [Cavalera]."

Blabbermouth: Which SEPULTURA album do you prefer, "Beneath The Remains" or "Arise"?

Prika: "I choose 'Arise' over these two."

Gabriela: "Me too."

Prika: "My favorite SEPULTURA album is 'Schizophrenia'. My three favorite albums are 'Schizophrenia', 'Arise' and 'Chaos A.D.'."

Blabbermouth: You mentioned working on new material. How are things coming along?

Prika: "We're started to compose, but we're going very slow. We're not putting pressure on ourselves because we really want to do something good. We are concentrating on the tours we have to do, so we are trying to divide ourselves and make it the best it can be."

Gabriela: "We're taking things as they come."

Prika: "We're taking inspiration from here and there. We've already composed new songs. We're working the way that we've always should have worked, with patience and not pushing things. We're letting things happen naturally."

Photo credit: Akis Zaralis