Svneatr are a Canadian black metal band and this is their third album.
Across six tracks Never Return delivers 40 minutes of progressive black metal. Taking a second wave base and building on it with contemporary influences and an array of additional musical layers, Svneatr’s music is impressive and moreish.
Svneatr throw a lot of different influences into this record. I’ve mentioned the essential ingredients of Never Return above, but I should also say that in some of the riffs and melodies you can also detect classic heavy metal, first wave black metal, and even a touch of thrash, (as well as a bit of rock ‘n’ roll swagger). It all makes for an album that’s rich in its musical makeup, with plenty to hold the listener’s attention and keep bringing them back for more.
Svneatr’s songwriting is involved and indicate, blending the classic and contemporary into a compelling whole that takes strengths from both. The progressive and classic metal aspects seem to underpin the core of the music, while an icy second wave shadow covers everything with freezing winds. Svneatr use all of this on Never Return to balance aggression and atmosphere, taking an approach that allows each of these to shine at different points throughout.
Never Return is packed with killer riffs and striking melodies, not to mention some molten solos. These all work with the rest of the music to produce engaging and immersive soundscapes. These songs are expressive and imbued with a strong emotive presence. Each song offers a multifaceted world to explore, and the band are skilled enough to pull off their wide range of ideas and creative components with seeming ease.
Never Return is the sort of album that’s worth getting to know slowly over time. There’s simply so much to take in and absorb, so many sights to see, that it just demands you keep visiting its dark lands again and again.
Svneatr have made a mark with Never Return, and it’s a record that you won’t want to miss out on if you love all things underground black metal.
Wonderbox Metal 
One thought on “Svneatr – Never Return (Review)”