photo credit: Tihomir Rusanov
Thrash metal outfit Nervosa are back with their fifth full-length album, Jailbreak, set to release this Friday (29th) via Napalm Records. This fresh record marks a bold new direction and serves as an introduction to their latest lineup. Guitarist and founding member Prika Amaral has taken on vocal duties, with Michaela Naydenova on drums, Hel Pyre on bass, and Helena Kotina on guitars completing the lineup. Metal Insider had the opportunity to catch up with Kotina to delve into the world of Jailbreak and discuss their journey forward with this revamped ensemble.
Could you share some insights into the creative process behind writing and recording the new album, Jailbreak, especially with the new lineup?
The whole writing/composing process started in 2021 right after Prika contacted me to see if I wanted to become a member of the band. In the beginning we started exchanging ideas and riffs and we were very happy with the stuff we had cause everything we wanted was coming out pretty naturally. Some months later, Prika came to Greece for one month and we managed to compose, musically speaking, more than half of the album. Later on between touring for Perpetual Chaos, we met again to continue the structure of the new album and the last part of recordings were finished at the Artesonado studio in Malaga.
There are a few notable guest appearances on the album, including Gary Holt of Exodus and Lena Scissorhands of Infected Rain. How did these collaborations come about?
We had in mind to have some guests on the new album, and more specifically, we wanted to have a favorite guitarist participating in a solo and one more vocalist that would totally fit with Prikas vocals so it happened. Gary Holt was always at the top of our ‘list’. We are huge fans of him, his guitar playing and all the work he has done through the years with Exodus and Slayer later on. We knew that he was very busy with touring but he managed to deliver a totally signature solo and made one of our dreams come true. About Lena, we admire the work that she is doing with Infected Rain, she is totally cool and we believed that her vocal style would fit together with Prika’s, and so it did. We are super happy with the result.
What do you hope fans and new listeners will take away from the new album?
We want them to feel the power of the new album and to enjoy the new elements that this album includes, such as twin guitar solos, melodies and stuff that appears for the first time in Nervosa’s discography. Most of all, we want them to enjoy the ride as much as we did and feel the vibe.
You mentioned that Jailbreak explores themes of breaking free and being proud of oneself. Can you share a specific song on the album that resonates with these themes and explain its significance?
Yes, the song with the same title, Jailbreak, is totally going for that meaning. Jailbreak is a song with a rebellious vibe that combines fast thrash and heavy riffs together with melodies that people can sing along. Also from the lyrics side it is totally about breaking free, escaping from the jail that we are putting ourselves in or other people are putting us inside. We have to be ourselves and follow our dreams no matter if other people like that or not.
With the addition of Helena Kotina as the second guitarist, how has she influenced the band’s overall sound on the new album?
First of all adding a second guitar in the band made everything more flexible and doable. Now we are able to have more melodies, more guitar solos, twin guitar solos and details here and there. Also, my background as a musician is based on classic heavy metal bands and guitarists that we combined inside Jailbreak’s compositions.
Can you talk more about the song “Behind The Wall?
Behind the wall is a song that has double but similar meaning. It is talking about the fake wall we are building through social media and we are hiding behind this in a place that we consider safe, but it’s not – it’s just an illusion. The other meaning is a bit more political and is about all the decisions about other people’s lives and the things that are happening inside the walls that we have no clue about.
Can you share any memorable moments or challenges you encountered during the recording process of Jailbreak?
Creating Jailbreak was one of the most beautiful things in my musical life till now. The time we spent in the studio in Malaga was especially magical. We were there for something like almost 20 days and it felt like time was running differently there. We were in a beautiful place, totally focused on creating music. Everything felt so pure.
Looking ahead, what can fans expect from Nervosa in the future?
They have to be ready for a lot of hot, special shows all around the world, and of course more and more music.
Is there anything else you want to say or add about the new album?
Just keep an eye open cause the 29th of September is getting closer and closer and we cannot wait to play the new songs for you all.
