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