In 2019, two young rappers equally inspired by the influential Chicago drill rapper Chief Keef and black metal acts like Darkthrone formed the underground experimental rap collective Haunted Mound.
One of them is Sematary, an extremely notorious and polarizing figure in internet music circles known for his style of music creation which boils down to Chicago drill-inspired trap beats that sample black metal riffs. The other founding member was fellow rapper, singer and guitarist Ghost Mountain, who made collaboration mixtapes with Sematary such as the lauded “HUNDRED ACRE WRIST” before taking a step back to focus on personal matters.
The wait for new material from Ghost Mountain ended in late 2024 with the singles “Apollon” and “Dark Harvest,” the former of which became a favorite for Haunted Mound fans. Ghost Mountain fully returned with the witch house-inspired album “October Country” on March 7, 2025 to fans’ elation.
“Moulder,” which essentially means to deteriorate or wither away, begins the album off strong. This song is a blend of great sonic textures from the witch house synths and basses to the retro-like trap percussion courtesy of in-house Haunted Mound producers oscar18 and Sematary.
Ghost Mountain’s singing is simultaneously flat while also being expressive. It’s an interesting balance to strike and a far cry from the rapping on works prior, but it pays off and is a worthy experimentation. The lyrics seem to be lamenting on past mistakes and miscommunications in relationships that could have been avoided with the refrain “if I had known.”
This song should have been the last in the album sequence personally speaking, but it’s only because I like the song that much. It’s like the synthy “Long Time” by rapper Playboi Carti on “Die Lit,” where the first song is misleading for what the rest of the project sounds like.
“Stalks” merges emotive vocals with trap percussion. It’s a bit derivative, but the lyric “Eurydice, did you fall for the music? He looked back, now it’s all gone to ruin” is great because it references and retells the story of lovers Eurydice and Orpheus. The latter looked behind at his love and broke an oath as a result, so Eurydice got trapped in the underworld.
“Hovel” references Ben Downing’s 1999 poem “Tempocide,” which is another indicator of Ghost Mountain’s esoteric knowledge. He also sings in the same song “Serpent cycles bind, ouroboros kept me tied” in reference to the cyclical and metaphorical snake that eats its own tail.
“By the Flame” is the closest thing to a sequel for “Moulder” both sonically and thematically. The trap percussion meshes well with the synths and the singing is even more expressive. The intro isn’t that appealing to the ears, but the rest of the song is worth the short wait. The lyric “Apollon, just a lyre with a bow” is a nice callback to the aforementioned single “Apollon.” The lyrics may also be mentioning the same flame that was described as getting colder on “Moulder.”
Ghost Mountain seems to really like Greek mythology with “The Lake,” references Perseus and the Pegasus with the line “Pegasuses flying over me, so I put the rest under darkened depths as Perseus stood drawn in the east.” The imagery is striking and gorgeous, which can be a rarity for how grim and edgy many of the other Haunted Mound lyrics are.
On “Kevlar,” Ghost Mountain depicts his drug addictions in the chorus powerfully over a beat that experimental singer Corbin could sing on. He delivers some lyrical gems in the verse that are worth a listen.
“Familiar Stranger” has the two best vocalists in Haunted Mound collaborating: Ghost Mountain and the singer Buckshot. Their voices mesh well together and the beat they sang on is heavenly.
The namesake of the album, “October Country,” has a good beat to it that is reminiscent of “NOT THAT I’M ANYWHERE” by experimental rapper Cities Aviv, especially by its second half. However, the drum pattern and the lyrics are a bit simplistic. I found myself enjoying the creative media references and tying them into emotions and mental health. The beat makes the song worth listening to nonetheless.
“Wayside” is a cute way to end the project. The beat is infectious and the singing is some of the best on the album. Although the lyrics are a bit simplistic, they aren’t as disappointing and wasteful as the song “October Country.”
I never imagined myself listening to another Haunted Mound release, but I’m sincerely glad I did. I remember listening to Sematary’s “Rainbow Bridge” trilogy with my friend from Australia, staying up late just for that. Beyond that, I truly believe that Ghost Mountain is the best vocalist in Haunted Mound after this release. His lyrics are cerebral and poetic, which I personally enjoy; though others may view it as pretentious. Ghost Mountain is going to be a great influence on the collective now that he’s back.
Rating: 4/5