Am I in Trouble? - Red (Review)

Written by: The Administrator

​In the course of reviewing music, I've increasingly tried to exercise a degree of thoughtfulness when comparing an artist to another artist. Namedropping for the sake of it is practice that often feels a little presumptuous, especially when specific influences are an unknown. Besides, if I'm resorting to comparing artists because there is nothing else to say, the review is probably... a little empty. As such, I try to keep direct comparisons A. positive, and B. firmly within the context of my own listening experience. If a guitar tone or an approach to songwriting fondly reminds me of something, and if that association benefits the overall review, it might merit mention.

Of course, this whole philosophy opens up a bit when an artist specifically mentions influences. Am I in Trouble?, a new project from friend of the Sleeping Village and Negative Bliss guitarist/vocalist Steve Wiener, makes these inspirations public. In fact, here's a convenient playlist. If you are a nerd like myself, and interested in digesting music in the overt context of the creative elements that led to its creation, said playlist makes for a pretty damn enjoyable listening experience.

Anyways! "On to "Red," today's track in question. 

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Am I in Trouble? released "Red" back in April of this year. This debut single serves as a tantalizing precursor for a longer forthcoming release, and also marks a bit of a sonic departure for those familiar with Steve's doomy and gloomy work with Negative Bliss. "Red" has a bit of a blackened edge, borrowing a certain aggressive oddity and borderline industrial edge from early 2000's Scandinavian avantgarde black metal. Think Code. Think Dødheimsgard. Think Solefald. Think dark winters, cold summers. It's an interesting era to pay homage to, and a sonic playground that allows for a lot of unpredictability.

​Despite some harsh throaty vocals, there's a clarity and a fidelity in the instrumentation that sits above classic black metal inscrutability. There's not really that mirthless pseudo-mechanical drive that you find injected throughout the aforementioned playlist, but "Red" is imbued with a calculating yet moody menace that feels right at home amidst the influences. The composition is wonderfully unpredictable, featuring a false conclusion on the back third that erupts into a some gnarly riffage and an unsettling ambient outro. And, not to be overshadowed by the instrumentation, there's a cleverly performative nature to the vocal delivery--take the self-serious yet self-aware chant of "Air. Water. Salt. Sugar. Acid. Bile. Mucous. Blood." 
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While undeniably weird, "Red" is somewhat grounded given the avantgarde association, and I'm excited to see how and where Am I in Trouble? introduces unexpected and experimental sounds in the future. But! I'll cut myself off here in the interest of letting you check out this one out for yourself. "Red" is a great standalone track, and this project reeks of potential. I'm primed and ready for a debut album, which hopefully isn't lurking too far over the horizon. In the meantime, this single comes highly recommended. Give "Red" a well-deserved listen above!

Am I in Trouble? - Red was released April 19th, 2024. Find it here!

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Am I in Trouble? can be found:
Bandcamp
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