Review by Jeger on October 20, 2024.

Since their inception in 2017 as Idle Hands, Portland, Oregon’s Unto Others have risen to goth infamy through the release of albums that simply cannot be resisted by even the most stubborn of metal enthusiasts. It’s through the rhythm, it’s in the melody and it’s in the timeless art of the riff that these sages of gothic rock/heavy metal have dazzled the world. Having toured with the likes of King Diamond, Carcass, and Toxic Holocaust along with appearances at prestigious festivals like Zappenduster, Unto Others have made their revered song heard on an international level as one of the most versatile bands the world of rock/metal has ever bore witness to. 

Frontman Gabriel Franco - quite possibly the greatest songwriter of our current day - is a master, an adept, and a muse. How does he do it? Gabriel understands the importance of less is more and the relevance of unpretentious songwriting that hits at head, gut, and heart levels. He’s put together a collective of brothers who embrace these principles wholeheartedly. It appears that he’s not interested in his band’s ability to shred or blast, but instead, their ability to feel the music and to play with heart & soul. A place for each band member and every band member in his place; a disciplined way of cultivating the band’s recognizable-the-world-over sound. On September 20, 2024 Unto Others released their Century Media debut, Never, Neverland. 

A whole different beast when compared to Unto Others’ previous Strength LP is Never, Neverland - diablerie and unpredictable - more grit and a whole lot heavier as it boasts bangers like 'Momma Likes The Door Closed' and 'Flatline' that see the band in a ferocious state of musical rabidity when compared to their previous works. But the bread & butter of it all is in that signature rhythm and that telltale uncanny knack for harmony & melody that resonates to your core in other more traditional-to-Unto Others cuts: 'Butterfly', 'Angel Of The Night' and 'Time Goes On' that tickle the old familiar sweet spot that all Unto Others fans have grown accustomed to feeling since the beginning. 

A smorgasbord of varying styles is explored here: bangers, slow-burners like 'Cold World' and one epic closer in the titular track. A Le package totale recording that will surely appease diehards, all the while as it attracts new fans. Striking visualizers to the aforementioned 'Butterfly' and 'Momma Likes The Door Closed' indicate a much larger budget; a fitting suit for a band who are finally getting their dues, and masterful engineering to only intensify an already world-dominating offering. You’ll feel this one like a glorious sun-drenched morn or a mystifying moonlit night - moving in ways indescribable to those who’ve never listened, but par for the course for us who’ve grown familiar with Unto Others’ brand of musical excellence. Unto Others pulls no stops here and provides the listener with 50 minutes worth of music; a gluttonous feast and an experience to be remembered. 

Unto Others are, despite their notoriety, a working-class band that tours with both legends and upstarts: small clubs, gaudy theaters, and festival stages. The sky is the limit for these guys because the music speaks volumes to anyone who listens. It speaks to the spirit and to one’s need for soul-welling nourishment. One of the fucking greatest bands in the world! Not an overstatement but the truth. That damn good, man. Care to argue? Didn’t think so… Even considering their major label signing with Roadrunner and now Century Media, for these guys, fat wallets and fame are of no concern, only artistic integrity and the love of their devout followers. My world is a better place thanks to Unto Others’ music - a little brighter and a little darker as well - sun-bursting triumph and sacred nightly comfort. Never, Neverland is just another example of musical wisdom in action. Enjoy. 

Rating: 9.5 out of 10

Review by Vladimir on September 22, 2024.

It’s very likely in this modern world to come across so many great bands that combine classic heavy metal and hard rock with some classic goth rock/post-punk elements, both of which had very strong underground scenes from the 80s and onwards. Of the more contemporary examples, we have bands like In Solitude, Pøltergeist, and today’s topic, the highly acclaimed US band from Portland, Oregon, Unto Others. I’ll admit that this isn’t a band that I was actively listening to, despite hearing some of their amazing songs in some darkwave playlists from time to time, but I thought that it was a great opportunity for me to dive into their most recent work, in the form of their third full-length album Never, Neverland which was released on September 20th, 2024 via Century Media Records. No matter how unknown everything seems at first glance, there is a very attractive nature to these kinds of albums that just speak to me while I look at their beautiful album covers, so I thought, why not jump right into it? 

I was not quite sure what to expect upon entering Never, Neverland, but I knew that I was getting myself into a very strange and peculiar journey of melancholic beauty that gently rains on your head on another autumn day. Indeed, it would seem once I became pretty immersed into the magic of the album with a feeling of an incredibly pleasant surprise that comes in the form of catchy and mesmerizing tunes of gothic rock fused heavy metal, like a perfect soundtrack to this somber season where leaves dry out and fall. Unto Others presents a handful of powerful and majestic songs with plenty of simplistic yet highly effective riffing, emotional verses and choruses, where the band’s entire performance transfers such an energy that feels so otherworldly and poetic. With a total of 17 tracks, you can clearly hear that there are instances where the band either mainly focuses on the intense emotional aspect of their songs, or the general heaviness in the music with a couple of bangers, both of which are well balanced throughout the entirety of Never, Neverland. What’s great about this album is how the band manages to keep things strong, interesting and consistent from start to finish, because having so many tracks on an album can easily lead to boredom during the second half, but in this case, it always remains entertaining with every next song that comes to play. With a strong consistency such as that, Unto Others gradually takes everything to the next level with every following track, where the progression feels more like going from one chapter to another, while also entering many different realms along the way with a sense of curiosity. It’s possible that you might have an out of body experience with some exceptional examples, of which there are plenty, and in my case, those were the tracks 'Angel Of The Night', 'Cold World', 'I Am The Light' and 'Raigeki 雷撃' that really felt like embracing a divine force, but deep down you know that you are only building up slowly to the grand climax of Never, Neverland. A very surprising inclusion that you will find on this album is the cover of Ramones song 'Pet Sematary' as the bonus track that concludes this journey, and although I am usually not a fan of covers, be it as bonus tracks or not, I did let this one slide because it was so well executed in that goth rock/post-punk style of Unto Others that still gives such respect to the original. 

The songwriting may be met with a lot of musical simplicity when it comes to the overall song structures, it’s far from a formulaic, lazy or one-dimensional approach, because the band really gave their 110% to make it as effective as possible, and in the end, it turned out great. Something that I personal felt when listening to Never, Neverland was a nostalgic throwback to the days when I first embraced the so-called “darkwave artists” from your classic goth rock/post-punk such as Bauhaus, The Sisters Of Mercy, Siouxsie And The Banshees, Christian Death and Lacrimosa to the heavier bands like Tribulation, Woods Of Ypres, Katatonia, Paradise Lost and My Dying Bride, and it all comes down the fact that they come from the same cloth, with Unto Others being a fresh branch that sprouts out on that great tree. There’s no denying that this album came out at a right time at the doorstep of autumn, and for a transitional period you could not have picked a better album to take the lead and just let it take you on a journey where you feel so estranged and relaxed at the same time. The last great thing I want to mention about this album is the crystal beautiful sound production that dominates throughout the entire thing, and the fact that the band put their songwriting to a good use, this production was far away from going to waste. 

In the end, the return of Unto Others with their brand-new album Never, Neverland is a fantastic album worth experiencing, as well as a great example of “right place, right time”. To be honest, even though this wasn’t an album that I was particularly looking forward to, nor was I aware of it being released this year, once I pressed play, I realized that my decision was not in “Idle Hands” (pun intended), and I have to say that this was a real chef’s kiss. If you are really desperate to find a suitable soundtrack to your sad and lonely days during the cold of September, look no further than this, because you will taste the sweet kiss of the night with Never, Neverland. 

Rating: 9.1 out of 10

Review by Felix on May 1, 2019.

Countless bands have fallen into oblivion and Havoc Mass is one of them. It goes without saying that there are thousand ways which can lead to failure. The handicaps of Havoc Mass were probably the lack of unique features, relatively unspectacular compositions, a terribly bad artwork and the fact that the three-piece did not create a strong image. The sticker on the album ("Ex - Nasty Savage, Last Rite and Fester members from Florida, USA") was no eye-catcher as well and, aggravating the situation, it announced a misleading information concerning the style. "Intense fast thrash-core" might have been the right description for Nuclear Assault's famous debut, but here we have a bastard of power and thrash metal. Finally, the spirit of time did not ask for such an album in 1993.

However, Killing the Future has its moments. Generously interpreted, the album holds sometimes slightly progressive song patterns, even though it is far away from an album like Watchtower's "Control and Resistance". Maybe Nasty Savage really can be understood as a point of orientation, but don't expect a comparable voice. Nasty Ronnie has remained more or less unique, while the vocals on this compact work (33 minutes playtime) are completely ordinary. Not bad, but ordinary. They lack individuality and while doing so, they reflect the compositions fittingly. The staccato shouts of "Distant Signs of Sorrow" keep sticking in the ear and one could mention a few numbers of further examples. Nevertheless, many songs come and go without leaving their footprint. They are decent, they do not suffer from feebleness, but the last iota of conviction and determination is sometimes missing. Nonetheless, a track like "All That Is Evil" scores with good guitar lines and a gloomy mood at the end. Speaking of the axes, the band has forged a certain number of ominous parts with more or less menacing guitars. They constitute a pretty stable fundament, but Havoc Mass forgot to build a palace or at least a big house on it.

Production-wise, the full-length shows no significant signs of weakness. Just like the songs themselves, the technical implementation is neither overly impressive nor bad. The songs don't lack pressure and the overall picture is okay. Only the bass guitar comes off badly, but this wide spread symptom is not really worth mentioning. In conclusion, if you have not heard this album so far, your life can still be complete. But if you wake up on a rainy Sunday and your girlfriend wants to visit her somewhat nerve-shattering mother, it might be a good idea to look out for these nine songs. Maybe one of the abovementioned tunes, the pretty threatening "Prime Directive" or the martially titled "Pools of Blood" will let you have a good time. But even if they fail to attract your attention, they might be less strenuous than an afternoon with your future mother-in-law.

Rating: 7 out of 10