In 2020, Nervosa went from a trio down to one, leaving guitarist Prika Amaral to decide whether to continue or not. Fortunately for fans, she built a new lineup and the new incarnation of the band released the stellar "Perpetual Chaos" early the next year. Unfortunately, Nervosa were soon in a similar situation, with circumstances preventing bassist Mia Wallace from continuing, vocalist Diva Satanica deciding to focus on Bloodhunter and not one but two departures from behind the drum kit. Most people would have quit at this point, but Amaral once again recruited some of the best musicians around and the results speak for themselves.

Despite the band being a quartet, "Jailbreak" was recorded as a trio, with new lead guitarist Helena Kotina, handling both her assigned duties and bass, the latter of which was how she was originally introduced to fans when she filled in for Wallace on tour. It has to be said that while Amaral has always been excellent, Kotina has brought an unmistakable new dynamic to the fold and she shines so brightly on this record. New drummer Michaela Naydenova is also a sound to behold, knocking it out of the park on her first Nervosa album and delivering everything fans could want in spades. Finally, "Jailbreak" marks the first time Prika Amaral has provided lead vocals and she's absolutely fantastic. Her delivery is deeper and gruffer than one might expect and she can more than handle her own.

The songs themselves are a real treat for fans. Nerovsa has taken the new foundations of "Perpetual Chaos" and built a meatier, tougher structure, drawing comparisons to their third album, "Downfall Of Mankind," at times, while also offering plenty of new tastes. Kotina's background in heavy and power metal circles brings a new flare to the bombastic sound, adding more elements of melody and atmosphere, while elsewhere the listener can find traces of death/doom metal in "Gates To The Fall" and even some grindcore on "Behind The Wall."

Nervosa has always been a thrash metal band first and foremost though and there's no shortage of that here. The title track, "Endless Ambition," "Suffocare" and "Kill Or Die" all have that runaway train pace about them and are sure to cause some neck damage to future audiences. They also expand even on the thrash, with their own signature sound meeting the likes of Destruction in some areas, Overkill in others, and at times, a little Dark Angel, all without coming across as a copy. "Elements Of Sin" is another standout when it comes to straight-up thrash metal and like "Ungrateful," leans into the more Discharge-inspired area of the sub-genre.

Trolls will surely make jokes about the lineup changes, but Prika Amaral deserves all the credit in the world for rebuilding the band once more and forging what could very well be their finest lineup. "Jailbreak" feels like her vision has been realized and that's an inspirational story in and of itself to keep going when things look their worst. Longtime fans know by now not to expect that same thirst and youthful excitement of the first three albums and yes, Nervosa are a different animal now, but they've not abandoned anyone with their sound or approach. They're still a thrash metal band with death metal influences and with "Jailbreak," they have a lot to be proud of and a lot to silence their critics with.