After three Ulver albums – “The Assassination of Julius Caesar” (2017), “Flowers of Evil” (2020), and “Liminal Animals” (2024) – which were based more on traditional song and production structures, “Neverland” marks a new chapter in the history of the acclaimed band from Oslo.
“With ‘Neverland,’ we have committed ourselves to a more ‘punk’ spirit – more dreams, less discipline – simply freer,” the band comments on the creative process behind the album.
Bursts of Daybreak synths and rushing sounds create the atmospheric foundation before the wolves delve into the dynamics of calm ambient and anarchic mysticism. Dreamy and rousing textures evolve into trippy, percussive energies, and as the album progresses, lush, pulsating, and at times exotic soundscapes open up.
Apart from a few recurring voices from afar and snippets of speech, “Neverland” is a largely instrumental album that recalls the mood and structure of the time when the IDM sounds of the late 90s met the meandering structures of post-rock.
The spirit of the sample culture before the turn of the millennium certainly has an impact on “Neverland,” and some may even hear echoes of acclaimed works such as “Perdition City” (2000), the ‘Silence’ EPs (2001), or the more recent “ATGCLVLSSCAP” (2016).
Nevertheless, “Neverland” somehow sounds and feels different, a breath of fresh air in ULVER’s ongoing journey of constant reinvention. Pop music from between worlds? An acoustic hallucination? Or better yet: a collage of dreams. That’s up to you to decide.

Tracks:
2. Elephant Trunk
3. Weeping Stone
4. People of the Hills
5. They’re Coming! The Birds!
6. Hark! Hark! The Dogs Do Bark
7. Horses of the Plough
8. Pandora’s Box
9. Quivers in the Marrow
10. Welcome to the Jungle
11. Fire in the End