Album Review: Am I in Trouble? – “Spectrum” (Avant-garde Black Metal)

Written by Kirk

Before you ask, the answer is no, Am I in Trouble? is not a pop punk band.  Yes, the name would be perfect for a pop punk band (if you know you know), but they are, in fact, very much not a pop punk band. In fact, this album couldn’t be less pop punk if it tried (which it doesn’t), and that is a very, very good thing. And if you pressed play expecting to hear a pop punk band, then you’re probably already well into your expectations getting smashed like a watermelon in a Gallagher sketch.

I think what I love most about underground music is how often I’m surprised by the end product. And, if you’re familiar with my reviews over the last two years (give or take a couple months at the time of publication) it’s that I genuinely don’t write reviews for music I don’t like. Why? Because writing negative reviews is boring. It’s for the weak. No one cares about what you don’t like; it’s what you’re passionate about that makes you interesting. And what I like is music that makes me make the confused Tim Allen sound like a JT Extreme review video (again, if you know you know). So here I am roughly two months later getting the same treatment from another Steve Wiener music project that makes me want to punch him in his…well, you know.  But don’t let the guest appearance from his Negative Bliss bandmates fool you, this is as much not a spin off of that band’s sound as it is not a pop punk band.

As per the album description on the Ampwall and Bandcamp pages, Am I in Trouble? is “deeply influenced by the works of avant-garde and progressive black metal artists active during the early-to-mid 2000s.” But what does that mean? As someone who didn’t really start listening to black metal until the late ‘10s/early ‘20s, I really couldn’t tell you. But seasoned metalheads will likely know what Steve is referring to, as this time period was rife with experimentation as part of the rise of post-black metal and blackgaze. In spite of their early connections to Peste Noire, it’s hard to not love Alcest and—in particular— Neige. There’s something truly blissful about their fusion of black metal and shoegaze that just washes over you and lulls you into a sense of utter bliss. And while Am I in Trouble? makes it a point to not copy the homework of the bands that came before them, they do an excellent job of leaving breadcrumbs that sound an awful lot like the trailblazers that inspired them.

Opening with a gentle acoustic guitar and flute medley with renaissance faire-esque drums, you’d think you’re about to hunker down with a hot cup of tea and a warm blanket for some good, old fashioned hobbit worship (complimentary).  But as “Yellow” segues into “White” and brings with it its sprite-like merriment, it quickly knocks that cup of tea out of your hand and promptly replaces it with a craft ale. The folksy beginnings quickly plunge into something darker, heavier, and more sinister. Considering the fact that Steve is handling all lead vocals, six and seven string guitar, bass, keys, and…well, pretty much everything you hear throughout this album, it’s hard to believe this isn’t a full band. The UK’s Chris Barber does an outstanding job providing drums for the heavier tracks, which provide the backbone for Steve’s myriad instruments and guests. Ember Belladonna’s flute work can be heard in the opening and closing tracks, Negative Bliss’s Jonathan Hernandez provides backing vocals on “Red”, Paul Shryock (also of Negative Bliss) provides a guitar solo on “Blue”, and Ashenheart’s Alex Loach provides backing vocals on “Black”.

The pacing of the album is really quite excellent.  It builds in intensity from its timid beginnings in “White” until it explodes with “Red”, each song using its predecessor to establish a solid framework of balance and intensity. That intensity burns throughout “Blue” and “Black”, never quite returning to that peak while also maintaining that same energy until “Green” brings us back where it all started with the simplicity of an acoustic guitar and a flute returning us to a world of whimsical fun.

THE BOTTOM LINE

I don’t know about you, but 2024 kicked my ass and stole my lunch money. Between work, family obligations, personal projects, and trying to bring y’all my thoughts on new releases, I haven’t felt this exhausted and burnt out in a long time. If you were to cast an actor to portray how I feel going into 2025, the only choice would be Sean Bean. So maybe that’s part of what makes Spectrum so refreshing; it’s so brazen with its worship of early ‘00s experimental black metal. It wears its heart on its sleeve and doesn’t care if you love it or hate it. It exists to pay tribute to an era of music that was so vibrant and new because that’s what we need sometimes. True, I love doom metal with all of its plodding tempos and emotional baggage, but sometimes it’s nice to start anew with a sense of hope and maybe a little bit of love. Because finding the joy in what’s tried and true is what Am I in Trouble? have done with Spectrum, reminding us that you can always find something to love if you’re willing to look for it.