The more time a band's career endures, the more it can become an institution. In other words, when a band becomes known and old, its name agglutinate fans and musicians nearby, as the act can become a leading force into the scene (what's a truth, in the end of all). This concept of institution can be applied to the Brazilian quintet NERVOCHAOS, as their latest work, "Chthonic Wrath", shows. For those that aren't used to the band's music, a concept can help a better understanding of what they musically do: they're bear almost 30 years of existence, with many musicians that came (and aren't on their ranks anymore), and it means that their classic Death Metal has many different influences that came and are now part of their musical DNA.

It's classic and brutal, but one can feel the younger and aggressive energy flowing from each song, and the album is solid and massive as a rock, as usual of the quintet. In short words: it's another excellent album of NERVOCHAOS. The album was produced and recorded under the supervision of Addasi Addasi (the Brazilian producer and guitarist of BLACK OIL) and Adriano Daga (known for his works with ALMAH, ANGRA, TORTURE SQUAD and others), and had Brendan Dufay (who worked previously with NERVOSA, ANGRA, ANDRE MATOS and others) on the mixing and mastering. The final result is a sonority that is able to be defined and aggressive, and that allows the quintet to express its blackened ideas without problems. And the artwork of Néstor Ávalos for the cover is amazing.

It's not a sin to say that "Chthonic Wrath" can be faced as a sequence of "All Colors of Darkness" (their previous album), because the band's ranks are the same, and that NERVOCHAOS is known for keeping its musical essence. "Son of Sin" is a traditional song of the band, based on fast guitar riffs and a piledriving rhythm created by bass guitar and drums, a live hit for the shows. And bearing some Old School Death/Thrash Metal elements, "Chaos Prophets" is a storm of brutality into the ears, a maelstrom of chaos and rhythm shifts, and what great vocals, indeed.

With slow appeal at its beginning, "Kill for Pleasure" hypnotize the fans before exploding in a Death Metal rage, base again on strong guitars. "Taphephobia" brings back the Thrash/Death Metal hooking elements, with a solid wall of rhythms in all moments. "Tomb Mold" is a fine and charming instrumental song based on clean chords, preceding the chaotic and climatic "Lullaby of Obliteration", another moment that goes from slow rhythms to high speed, but always in a coherent way. And "Torn Apart" shows some technical arrangements and some Hardcore/Crossover hooking elements.

A Death Metal battering ram called "Arrogance of Ignorance" comes in the sequence, again with very good rhythmic arrangements and tempered with nasty grunts and screams. And the same elements can be heard on "Avant-garde", where some sickening guitar solos are heard. On "Falling", again the rhythmic piledrive of the band is turned on, a classic feature that the quintet has mastery to the use (and pay attention to some Thrash Metal-like guitars). Bring back some hooking influences of Old School Death Metal into the pyroclastic mix of influences of the band "Descending Into Madness" is another moment that evokes the band's musical personality, as "Perpetual War" is as well.

"Ouroboros" comes to close the album keeping the high level of quality, with abrasive sets of guitar riffs and very good snarls of the vocals. And the short "Weed Smokers' Dream" is another Blackened Death/Thrash Metal moment, with massive guitar riffs swarming into the ears and brain. One can say that "Chthonic Wrath" isn't in the same level of albums as "To the Death" and "The Art of Vengeance", but no one can deny that the regularity of NERVOCHAOS stays untouched.