You don’t drop your debut after 14 years unless you’ve got something real to say — and Neocortex absolutely do. Formed in 2001, this atmospheric black metal outfit from Germany’s Saarland region took their time crafting a sound that’s both deeply personal and emotionally harrowing. With Es liegt die Welt in Scherben, released on the last day of 2015 by Dominance of Darkness Records, they finally gave the world a glimpse into their world of melodic grief, philosophical dread, and spiritual collapse.

Musically, this is far from blastbeat-saturated chaos. Neocortex operate in the slow, sorrowful realm of atmospheric black metal, where clean guitars echo, tempos crawl, and the weight of the world is carried in every note. The songs are long, meditative, and often crushing — not in aggression, but in emotional gravity. The vocals shift between harsh screams and spoken passages, layered against post-rock textures and a blackened backbone.

You’ll hear traces of Austere, Lifelover, Forgotten Tomb, and even the ghost of Type O Negative floating around in here — but Neocortex keep things unique with lyrics that explore social decay, death, philosophy, and mental collapse, all sung in German. Songs like “Todessehnsucht” and “Gezeiten” take their time to unfold, rewarding patient listeners with a deep and layered emotional journey.

This limited CD release comes in a numbered edition, making it a great addition for collectors of underground German black metal and anyone looking for a deep, introspective, and artfully miserable album. It’s not instant gratification — but for those who live for slow-burning despair, Es liegt die Welt in Scherben delivers in full.