SVNTH‘s hibernation has come to an end.
After fourteen years under the name Seventh Genocide, the Italian band has decided to be reborn in 2020. Rodolfo Ciuffo (bass/vocals, ex-Angew), Valerio Primo (“miscellaneous”, Thecodontion), Alessandro Canzoneri (drums, ex-Kleptocrazia), Alessandro De Falco (guitar, White Thunder) and Jacopo Fagiolo (guitar, White Thunder) sign with These Hands Melt to unveil Pink Noise Youth in 2025.
The album gets off to a slow start with Inhale, a rather mysterious introduction that eventually ignites with the arrival of saturation, becoming soaring as it joins Cinnamon Moon with some ambient noise. Saturated vocals predominate, but a few backing vocals and clear parts appear from time to time between the various layers of instruments, disappearing only during the break in which we are allowed to breathe before the soaring finale followed by Perfume and its haunting tones. A certain gentleness emanates from this composition, scarcely disturbed by the occasional scream as in the more chaotic final, but a certain oppression is felt when Elephant begins with its hazy notes and surging drums. The track radically changes identity towards its middle, continuing with a softer, more hypnotic approach to reach Narrow, Narrow where quietude is once again the order of the day, before it metamorphoses into a mad but driving dance in the surrounding darkness where the various vocal parts are born. Exhale in turn kicks off with a rather welcoming, melodious sound, but it changes once more along the way to become heavier and more heady, but it slows down for the final before accelerating again on Winter Blues where ambient tones are once again out to embellish the energetic rhythm. The vocal parts are as varied and contrasting as ever, creating an irregular flow of diverse melodies before a long, pared-down finale that joins Nairobi Lullaby and its obvious Post-Rock/Shoegaze influences in providing a smooth exit from the album.
Although SVNTH‘s Post-Black roots are perfectly identifiable, the band navigates between several influences to enrich their riffs and make them soaring. Even if some passages are relatively unexpected, Pink Noise Youth knows how to be heady.
70/100