Nervochaos

The fifth full-length from Brazilian death metallers Nervochaos, To the Death, is exactly what you'd expect: heavy, thrash-influenced pummelling with brutal riffs and strong percussion. Opening track "Mark of the Beast" is relentlessly pounding, with consistent mechanical blasts and monotone growls, which are carried throughout To the Death. Several guitar solos add some variety to the album, distinguishing one song from the next, with the exception of "Gospel of Judas" and "The Exile," which contain essentially the same riffs, rhythms and structure, making them impossible to tell apart. Although Nervochaos exhibit supremely tight musicianship and technical proficiency, with undeniably heavy, groove-filled, catchy tracks, the record lacks innovation and memorability in its songwriting. The expected malevolent, anti-Christian lyrical theme also fails to engage the listener, presenting an approach that's been done a million times before without offering anything new or different.