NEVER - THE GRAY (2026)

After the raw, instinct-led release of ‘JXDY’, which was initially never planned as a longplayer, NEVER returns with his sophomore album ‘THE GRAY’, a more thought-out and expanded body of work. Out on VEYL, the record keeps its roots in post-punk and darkwave, but opens up into a broader space, both sonically and emotionally.

For the first time, NEVER brings in outside voices in a more central way. What started with experiments outside his own music, like the remix for Years of Denial’s ‘City Lights’, now becomes a core part of the process, making ‘THE GRAY’ feel less isolated and more like a shared ground shaped by different inputs.

The collaborations mark key moments across the album. ‘IS THIS REAL’, the collaboration with Arizona duo Meldamor leans into a more direct, dancefloor-oriented approach, with Mel’s vocals bringing a restrained, atmospheric presence that shapes the track’s tone without overpowering it. ‘RXVOK’, together with Filmmaker, goes darker and rougher, pulling in industrial weight with black-metal-tinged vocal textures.

On ‘SHXDOWS BITE’, Castelli brings in a colder, 80s-leaning mood, keeping things melodic but restrained. ‘AMPHIBIENS’ with Contre Soirée pushes in the opposite direction, more raw and abrasive, with French vocals cutting through a dense and pressured backdrop.

Around these tracks, the album moves as one piece rather than separate moments. Themes circle around love, loss, memory and a sense of collapse, without ever fully resolving. It stays in that in-between space, where things don’t quite settle.

The artwork comes from Francesco Goats, known for his work in Xerox art, adding a visual layer that fits the tone of the record.

With ‘THE GRAY’, NEVER moves into a more open phase, where collaboration plays a bigger role and the overall direction feels more defined, without losing the edge of earlier work.