Nervosa started life as a Brazilian thrash metal band and although all of said Brazilians save for founding guitarist Prika Amaral have since been replaced, by Italian Mia Wallace (ex-Abbath), Greek drummer Eleni Nota and Spanish vocalist Diva Satanica, the heart and soul remains profoundly South American. And so this is several shades heavier and nastier than your typical thrash revivalist act, a clear nod to such past greats as Sarcofago audible alongside the usual influences that you'd expect - Kreator, and so on. It goes all-out almost immediately on opener Venomous, a crunchy death/thrash riff cocktail given murky weight thanks to a less than shiny production partly handled by Prika herself. And if the song doesn't exactly change it up often, it's hard to notice as you're hurried along by Diva's raspy scream, reminiscent of Angela Gossow's but also having a touch of Sabina Classen's chaotic delivery, as well as Max Cavalera's lyrical bluntness.

There's more than a hint of Arise-era Sepultura to the likes of Guided by Evil, blasting drums and churning riffs, although Nervosa dip into speedier, less refined tempos and do so enjoyably and with enough variety to keep Perpetual Chaos mostly interesting. People of the Abyss, say, is downright blackened, contrasting well with the relatively slower, groovier title track. And a couple of guest spots give flavour, Entombed AD guitarist Guilherme Miranda providing Until the Very End with extra guitar widdles, while the seeming omnipresent Schmier adds vocals to the Destruction-y Genocidal Command. Rebel Soul, featuring Flotsam & Jetsam vocalist Eric Knutson, is the strangest, his contribution not really gelling with Diva's snarl and the track as a whole going for an anthemic feel that misses the mark even without the too-long chorus. It's a rare misstep here, in fairness, although at over 44 minutes Perpetual Chaos does feel packed pretty full and can be a little wearying if you're not digging it. Surely it should have been easy to cut the odd song out for a sleeker, more memorable experience overall - then again, South American thrash has its own spiritual savagery for a reason, and those who appreciate it will find much to like about Nervosa.