Animals In Denial Make Anxiety Sound Addictive in "Crash Course Volume 3 - Rust Covered Lust"

On Crash Course Volume 3, the latest EP from Animals In Denial, we are dropped into a sound world that feels part dystopian part late-night drive through neon-lit paranoia.

Clocking in at just six tracks, this record doesn’t waste time. It clamps down, compresses its anxiety into bursts of beautifully restrained chaos and exits before you even realize how tense your shoulders have become.

Listen in here:

https://open.spotify.com/album/0iU5DKjCL6t2pwtmhrXgUU

The opener, "Operator", sets the tone with eerie precision. It enters with the cold click of a connection being made; digitized, minimal and full of unspoken threat.

There’s something almost surgical about the production here. A pulsing bassline rides beneath metallic percussion, while clipped vocals echo like a voice rerouted through multiple secure lines. There’s a conversation happening, but it’s all code - fragmented, glitching, beautiful in its restraint. It is the perfect introduction - a controlled environment with just enough static to let you know the walls are thin and vibrating.

"Coi" follows with a shift in emotional tone. Where "Operator" is all strategy and tension, "Coi" is softer, slower but no less intense. It feels like heartbreak in a surveillance state - sparse and ghostly. Christian Ime's vocals are distant and covered in a cloud of processed reverb, lending the lyrics an almost ghost-in-the-machine quality.

The instrumentation here leans into melancholy, with warm synths layered under a pulsing rhythm.

With "Rage", the mood shifts again - hard. This is the EP's raw nerve. It's distorted, compressed and emotionally unfiltererd. The track barely contains itself, driven by a beat that kicks like it's trying to break out of its own sequence. The vocals are fractured and intense, and sound like they are being delivered through gritted teeth. This is an industrial sound for sure, but not in the retro sense. It's about burning through resistance, tearing through loops, venting the system.

Then, "Danger Danger", a track that plays like a final chase scene. Urgency hums through each layer. The synths are tense and twitchy, layered like sirens from different frequencies. Rhythms stutter and glitch, evoking the feeling of running through a corridor with flickering lights and alarms. "Rust Covered Lust" doesn't let you down gently - it kicks the door open and vanishes into the fog.

Overall, "Crash Course Volume 3 - Rust Covered Lust" is a lesson in sound economy. There's no filler here, and no indulgent build-ups. Just four highly focused sketches of tension, release and coded emotion. Crash Course thrives in negative space, building atmosphere from omission as much as inclusion. This is music for the panicked heartbeat, for late night journeys where the streetlights don't feel safe.

With nods to experimental pop and cyberpunk aesthetics, Volume 3 is both a mirror and a mood: sharp, stylish and just a little bit haunted.

About Animals In Denial

Animals In Denial is the brainchild of multi-instrumentalist and producer Christian Imes, who fuses alternative rock, industrial and electronic music into a bold sound. What started with a guitar at age 14 evolved into a fully realized solo project, with Imes handling everything from songwriting to production. Diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (Asperger’s), he credits his unique perspective with shaping his intensely personal, cinematic approach to music.

Taking inspiration from life, technology and nostalgia, Imes writes tracks that often begin fully formed in his mind before hitting the DAW. His latest work, including the 2024 release "Crash Course Vol. 2: Tickets to Dreamland" reflects a willingness to experiment - this time integrating AI elements to push sonic boundaries.

Outside the studio, Imes is a family man, often jamming with his kids and finding support in his creative partnership with his wife Jeanine. With Animals in Denial, he continues to channel vulnerability, storytelling, and innovation into a sound that is both raw and futuristic.

Find out more about Animals In Denial on their Website

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