Helsinki-based Nervebreak‘s second EP Hopeless Society has now been released in its entirety. The dystopian-themed EP explores the emotions evoked by the pandemic, such as frustration, injustice and distancing – themes that are still relevant today.
The songs are composed as a continuation of the previous EP, but they reflect Nervebreak’s development as a band. Compared to their previous release, Nervebreak has brought more groove and heavier elements to their music. However, the band, which started with more straightforward thrash metal, has not forgotten its roots, and a toast to kick off the party is promised this time too.
The singles Better Off, Dead End, Give Me a Break and Slave to the Grind were previewed from the upcoming EP. The entire EP was recorded together with the band’s regular recording and mixing engineer Joel Pöllänen. Mikko Herranen was responsible for the mastering. Mika “Kaasu” Karppinen, known from the band HIM, was involved in the drum recordings, and was responsible for the acoustic sound and tuning of the drum sounds.
The band says that they spent a lot more time this time to achieve a high-quality result:
“The recordings and production process were much tougher compared to making the previous EP, because we decided to clearly raise the bar to the next level. Recording the vocals took a lot of time and they were carefully polished. The guitars were not recorded at home and reamped in the studio, but the amplifiers were taken to the studio, and after finding the magical sound, the recordings were done in a ‘traditional’ style.”
The EP’s lead single is the title track Hopeless Society, which once again showcases the band’s strengths.
“Hopeless Society represents our groovier side. It has a unique, bouncy riff that grabs your attention from the very first bars. This song also has grunge-tinged vocals amidst Nervebreak’s traditional more aggressive screams. This song combines several musical styles,” the band commented.
Founded in 2020, Nervebreak caught the attention of the metal crowd by releasing their Desperate Measures EP in 2022 and performing at Tuska the following summer. The band’s production mixes elements of old-school thrash metal, groove metal and funk. Now, with their new EP, the band is determinedly aiming for the next level.
Hopeless Society EP track list:
1. Dead End
2. Slave to the Grind
3. Hopeless Society
4. Let It Go
5. Better Off
6. Give Me a Break
Nervebreak is:
Santeri Salmela – vocals
Lassi Kuusela – guitar
Fernando Arriaga – bass
Aki Kuokkanen – drums