Written by: The Administrator
I joke about the ineffectiveness of publishing a standalone review for every track on an album. However, at this point I will have reviewed--on an individual basis--every track from the forthcoming Am I in Trouble? debut album. We covered "Red" here this spring, and more recently premiered "White" alongside the album announcement for Spectrum. Needless to say, I am A. a big fan of this project, and B. invested in doing whatever I can to hype up what will inevitably be one of the best albums released in January 2025. In that spirit, we're excited to premiere the third single, "Black," a few days ahead of release! "Black" features Alex Loach (of Ashenheart) on vocals, continuing the established Am I in Trouble? trend of incorporating a variety of guests. As you may recall, "White" features Ember Belladonna on flute, which helped give the song as a whole a lighter vibe. In stark contrast, Alex's guest spot lends a pointed viciousness that otherwise has yet to rear its head at this point in the album's runtime. This is a track that works so well because it embraces high-contrast juxtapositions, and ends up pushing and pulling the listener through a surprising array of tonal shifts. Before I get too far ahead of myself, I encourage you to give "Black" a listen below! When it comes to discussion, fear not: we slumbering scribes shall be waiting on the other side. As, y'know, we so often do.
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 Cover artwork for "White"
Written by: The Administrator
This year, I made the acquaintance of one Steve Wiener. An enthusiastic metal twitter hypeman and a fantastic musician to boot, Steve has a real knack for making music that matches my specific interests to a frankly uncanny degree. I've previously reviewed tracks from his doom/post-metal/etc. band Negative Bliss here and here, and more recently spent some quality time with Steve's new solo outfit. This project--the alluringly monikered Am I in Trouble?--is the subject of today's conversation. In my writeup of the notably excellent "Red," I said that Am I in Trouble? "reeked of potential." We are on the brink of witnessing that potential realized. On that note, I am tickled pink to officially announce the forthcoming debut album from Am I in Trouble? Entitled Spectrum, this colorful 31 minute 7 track project is a love letter to "the eclecticism and experimentation displayed in the early-to-mid 2000s avantgarde black metal explosion." Intentionally utilizing a broad sonic palette and boasting a bevy of guest collaborators, Spectrum will release Jan. 3rd of 2025. In describing the project, Steve explicitly highlights the artists that serve as inspiration: "Spectrum is deeply influenced by the works of bands such Borknagar, Solefald, Code, Vintersorg, Arcturus, Dødheimsgard, and Thy Catafalque." That said, an encyclopedic knowledge of this particular era and sound is not required--I, for one, am certainly no expert. Am I in Trouble? has created a sonic playground that allows for a wide range of expression, and from what I have heard of the album, this flexibility is a great strength. If any of this sounds interesting, a pre-order opens today exclusively over on the freshly launched Ampwall, a very cool platform that we slumbering scribes shall be discussing in greater depth in good time. This is a prime opportunity to both check out a spiffy new platform and nab a pre-order for an album that will inevitably set a high bar very early next year. But that's not all! Along with this announcement comes--as with all quality announcements--an absolutely bangin' single. "White," presented below, is an incredible track that marries progressive tendencies with a sun-bathed warmth. Give it a listen! As always, we'll be waiting on the other side. 
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. 
Written by: The Administrator
Each year, I inevitably spend a whole lot o' time with EPs. Is this due to my bafflingly short attention span? Yes. Is it also because EPs often feel like the perfect vehicle for a band to flaunt their strengths in a concise and well-trimmed manner? Also yes. Listening to a well-constructed EP is perhaps my favorite way to spend time with music, and so here I am, an eclectic collection of favorites gripped in outstretched grubby fingers. But first, some housekeeping! There are, assuming I counted correctly, 30 entries. I was planning on 20, but have no real interest in trimming a list of untrimmable favorites. In that spirit, hopefully you find something here that worms its way into your favorites as well. This list is not sorted by genre despite featuring a lot of different genres. I apologize for the whiplash, but sorting feels antithetical to the overall notion that listening habits should not be confined for the sake of convenient lists. And lastly, this is utterly unranked--if something appears here, please know that it comes highly, highly recommended! Anyways. Let's get into it. |
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