Nervecell 'Finalizing' Global Deal

The metal trio are also prepping a European tour and starting work on their third LP

NERVECELL: Barney Ribeiro, James Khazaal and Rami Mustafa (from left)
Adnan Mryhij
By Adam Grundey
Jun 10, 2014

Extreme metal trio Nervecell are currently finalizing a “multi-album, worldwide” deal with a U.S.-based metal label that will see their last LP, 2011’s Psychogenocide released in all territories it hasn’t yet hit (basically everywhere outside of Europe and the Middle East), as well as global releases for their future output. For guitarist Rami Mustafa, the deal is a pay-off for the patience the band have shown.

“We’ve been waiting for while,” he says. “There have been so many potential deals that weren’t quite what we were looking for; just small details. But the label we’re talking to [Mustafa declines the opportunity to reveal the label’s name] is very focused on our kind of music, which is an advantage.”

The deal should also open up the opportunity to play some Stateside shows, which has long been an ambition for the U.A.E.-based band – Mustafa, fellow guitarist Barney Ribeiro, and bassist and vocalist James Khazaal. “There’s a lot of interest,” Mustafa says. “We get plenty of emails and comments from people wanting us to come over there. And there are so many promoters and agencies we’ve been talking to, but we’re just waiting for that moment. Once the album’s in that market, tours will open up. It’s a domino effect.”

Mustafa hopes the deal will be signed by the end of the summer. Before that, Nervecell will be hitting the European festival circuit, building on their already impressive following there with shows in Germany, Austria, Belgium, Holland, and opening with a slot at the Brutal Assault Festival in the Czech Republic in early August. “It’s the biggest metal festival in Eastern Europe,” says Mustafa. “The fans are so hungry for shows there, it’ll be great to go back. Over the last couple of years, we’ve been getting more fans in Eastern Europe too [the band are already well-established in Central Europe], they love our style – death and thrash metal. It’s basically hard work paying off.”

And Mustafa says the band are in the early stages of putting together their third album (though there’s no release date set yet). Two songs are already close to completion, and the guitarist says it’s sounding like the record will be a mix of “the thrash of [Nervecell’s 2008 debut] Preaching Venom and the heavy side of Psychogenocide.”

“It’s sounding good,” Mustafa says. “We’re shaping our sound a bit as the years go by. It’s very cool to get to the sound you want without thinking about it too much. It’s very natural so far. And interesting. It’s going to be catchy, melodic… the fans are going to love it.” He pauses. “And,” he says with a smile, “it’s going to be fast.”

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