One of the biggest surprises when dealing with the new album from NEUROTECH, is how they have managed a career of close to 20 years and 10 full-length album releases, and this is the first I am hearing about the band. It’s one of the great mysteries within the Metal genre, as well as a reminder that there is still a lot of band and music out there that is undiscovered. Depending on who you ask, their music is labeled as “electronic,” “industrial,” “cybermetal,” or even “futurepop,” they are a one-man band, hailing from Slovenia. “Exo Escapism” has ten songs, and “Exo” is first. It’s a charming and very attractive piano-led opener, with plenty of hooks.

“Cast into Shadow” is next, and it has a weighted, electronic sound combined with pretty vocal harmonies. The song has an outer world quality to it, almost as if it is carrying you on a breeze to a different world. “The Mark of the Beast” has long, sharp fangs and a steady pounding at the bottom end. It is dark, but not without the signature melodies that Wulf develops so well. They crackle, spark, and glitter over the bed of weighted electronics. “A Trial By Fire” has funky electronics and warm vocals harmonies to go along with the Djent qualities of the guitars. Sounding a bit like the ethereal melodies of KATATONIA, the music is beautifully executed. “Saints from Sinners” has some 80’s throwback sounds, like the popular and catchy keyboard driven sound of the decade.

“New Source Code” is darker and heavier, and I would go so far as to say that some of the rhythms are punishing. The fact that melody can coexist in this cold, sterile environment is a testament to Wulf’s songwriting ability. “Ice Cold” has tentative and delicate melodies, but under them, a weighted, pulsing rhythm undulates. “The Withering” has a weighted dose of guitars, sweet vocals, and backing electronica, and the chorus overflows with meaty, catchy hooks. “Escapism” closes the album, and it approaches gently, with ethereal melodies and vocal harmonies. When the big sound and hook drops, it’s almost a relief, and it fills your soul with hope. Among the cold riffs and keyboards, you feel warm and secure.

In a landscape crowded with genre hybrids that often lean too far into excess or restraint, this is a rare achievement: an album that feels physically heavy without ever surrendering its melodic soul. It’s music made of metal and mist—where industrial-weight electronics and punishing riffs grind against your chest while smooth, celestial vocals float above. The songs are meticulously constructed: verses draw you in with layered synthwork and eerie calm, only to erupt into choruses that balance monolithic riffs with earworm hooks. There’s an understanding here of dynamics, of emotional escalation. You don’t just hear the songs—you’re pulled through them. In short, it doesn’t ask you to choose between power and polish. It gives you both. It’s the sound of machinery dreaming. A storm with a lullaby stitched into its eye.