SVNEATR – Never Return
Release Date: 10th May 2024
Label: Prosthetic Records
Bandcamp
Genre: Black Metal, Progressive Black Metal, Death Metal, Heavy Metal.
FFO: Skeletonwitch, Master’s Hammer, Mortuary Drape, Darkthrone, Opeth.
Review By: Rick Farley
Vancouver, British Columbia’s progressive, heavy metal-tinged black metal band SVNEATR, returns with album number three, Never Return via Prosthetic Records. A full-on assault of the senses, taking a harrowing journey through multiple genres with a merciless foundation of second wave black metal.
Now before I get too far into this review, I will get my criticism out now, so you do not feel wacked over the head with it later. As I said, this is a harrowing journey through different musical ideas, which is both a strength as well as a weakness. On one hand Never Return is a maelstrom of progressive forward-thinking black metal that’s intent is to blaze everything in its path, but on the other hand Never Return is also a little too forward-thinking at times, often reaching for ideas that are less successful than others. For example, there are clean vocals, that I normally would not be bothered by in the least bit, but here they are executed in a way that sound completely off from the music. If you were to play track one Mechanical Wolves, a blast of wickedly blackened speed metal so ferociously delightful and then play track three And When Comes the Storm a moody, sort of techy, progressive piece with off-putting clean vocals, you might think it is two different bands. There seems to be a bit of an identity crisis.
Another example of this is Omen, which on its own is a pretty cool tune. The problem is it is way up in the Gojira vibe that it sounds nothing like the opening track or black metal for that matter. Again, their focus is overreaching, you can too easily hear influences almost to the point where they become sameish. Opeth, Death and Gojira all come to mind at various points of the record. Firstly, those influences come across way too strong (Reaper of the Universe) and secondly, none of those bands are actually black metal. Not to sound nitpicky, but this is marketed as a black metal record, after all.
With all that said, there is terrorizing blackness to be found here. Loads of frosty tremolo picking that harkens back to the thrashiness and heavy metal leanings of the first wave and second wave of black metal. Serrated guitar riffs sharp enough to grind through your flesh, while disgusting raspy shrieks pierce your ears and thick drums pound your chest. When it’s good, it’s really good.
Never Return sonically sounds great. Tight, crisp, and invitingly warm. In 2022, it was self-recorded by SVNEATR, with vocals and string arrangements recorded by Ryan Sheperd at Little Red Sounds as well as mixing. The record was mastered by Brad Boatright and album art by Basia Swiecko.
There is a lot to like on Never Return, and certain songs are absolutely killer. I just wish the focus was more on the menacing trad metal-tinged black metal. When SVNEATR stays in that lane, it fucking rips.
(3 / 5)
