Some songs are written in hindsight, piecing together a story long after the wounds have healed. Shallow is not one of them.

Animals In Denial began writing it while still trapped in the very relationship that inspired it. A relationship that was built on deception, obsession and manipulation so surreal it borders on the cinematic.

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“Shallow” certainly locks you in to a damp and claustrophobic sound environment with the audio being the equivalent of being trapped in a flooded tunnel with no visible way out.

The drums drip with reverb and pressure. The bassline pulses like a slow and dangerous heartbeat. It’s a soundscape sculpted under the heavy influence of Depeche Mode’s Violator, Nine Inch Nails’ Pretty Hate Machine and the shadowy grit of Smashing Pumpkins’ Gish.

The guitar solo, which was born from a lick learned off “Bury Me,” slices through the gloom like a desperate cry, offering no resolution. Only more unease.

What makes “Shallow” so gripping though, is that its story isn’t built on vague metaphors. The lyrics, and the emotion behind them, are very much rooted in a true account of a partner whose lies reached beyond ordinary infidelity into elaborate, life‑altering fictions.

Talking about the song, Christian Imes says:

“This song is about a horribly destructive relationship. It was written while I was still in it, and everything in my gut was telling me this is going to go bad. It was seriously like being out of body, and watching a train about to hit a brick wall, and no-one on board sees the wall. So many red flags/ signs were there and I chose to stay ignorant and it wasn’t even blissful. I didn’t realize how surface deep her feelings were to me, if she had any feelings at all. Being able to look back at it after being in a healthy relationship you see just how fucked up the situation really was.

The lies were beyond extreme and really dark, everything from “my Cancer came back” and “they’re setting up hospice so you have to marry me now.” I was made to believe this for weeks, before she felt bad and came clean. Her coming clean sessions were something to be studied to be honest, as this wouldn’t be the last lie of this kind.“

Layered on top of all of the deceit was the prejudice of her family – a father whose racist hostility forced the relationship into secrecy, even dictating how they could be seen in public.

The chorus, “Lies, obsession, violent extinction” is a mantra of disillusionment, a distillation of the moment love curdles into something poisonous. Singing it now, years later, Imes’s delivery is a blend of disbelief and bitterness, reflecting the strange reality of surviving an emotional war zone you once mistook for romance.

What’s remarkable is that, despite its deeply personal nature, “Shallow” doesn’t feel closed off. You can hear the helplessness of someone who knows they’re being hurt but can’t yet break free, the crushing weight of misplaced loyalty, and finally, the clarity that comes only after escape.

As this track develops, the production mirrors the emotions. The verses hover over in a tense and uneasy groove, almost hypnotically in their repetition while the choruses open like a wound. And the closing moments leave the listener not with a triumphant resolution, but with a haunted awareness of just how deep the damage went.

“Shallow” is not a pretty song. It is drenched in confession and yet it is beautiful in its own way and in the courage it takes to air out something this painful in an unflinching way.

Stream “Shallow” on Spotify now

About Animals In Denial

Christian Imes is the creative force behind Animals In Denial, a project that blurs the lines between industrial rock, alternative and electronica.

Known for his emotionally charged songwriting, Imes crafts music that is as raw as it is meticulously produced.

As a neurodivergent artist living with Asperger’s syndrome, he brings a deeply personal perspective to his work, channeling life experiences, struggles and triumphs into each and every track.

Beyond the studio, Imes is a devoted family man, often jamming with his sons and nurturing their shared love of music.

Keep up with Animals In Denial on the Website