Trepidation

Trepidation is a 2024 four-track album by Mental Anguish, the long-standing solo project of American electronic musician Chris Phinney. Released through the Porto Alegre-based netlabel M I S T, the record aligns with the label's specialization in dark drone, ritual dark ambient, and industrial soundscapes. Phinney, a prolific figure in the underground scene since the 1980s and founder of the Harsh Reality Music label, utilized this project to explore increasingly introspective and cinematic textures. The album features tracks such as "A Shiver Of Pretended Pleasure" and "A Nurturing Darkness," which emphasize the ethereal soundscapes and dissonant instrumentation characteristic of his later work. Situated within a year of significant output for the artist, Trepidation represents a continued focus on somber, drone-oriented aesthetics rather than the rhythmic electronic styles of his earlier career. Available as a digital release, the album serves as a late-career entry in a massive discography that spanned over four decades before Phinney's passing in 2026.