The day is finally here. Ghost Mountain’s debut mixtape is out on all platforms. Avid — and sometimes psychotic — fans, also known as “Hauntaholics,” of the grimy, underground collective Haunted Mound know it’s been a long time coming.
Ghost Mountain, the stage name of Wren Kosinski, began his career collaborating with Sematary, with whom he founded Haunted Mound in 2019. Together, they released two mixtapes with “Grave House” being the project that garnered the most traction. Ghost also frequently featured on Sematary’s solo albums until “Rainbow Bridge 3,” when Ghost decided to retire from music in 2021.
In September 2024, Ghost released his first ever solo track “Apollon,” sending shock waves through the Haunted Mound community. Ghost then released another new track with Sematary before announcing his solo mixtape “October Country” on Feb. 26.
Ghost certainly produces a solid debut mixtape by staying loyal to the sound that got him where he is today, while also showcasing new genre-molding styles and delivery.
Ghost’s musical versatility has always been a key feature of his appeal. However, for the intro track “Moulder,” he kept it simple in classic Haunted Mound fashion by cruising over a heavy, droning instrumental with his signature half-dead vocals. “Moulder” is the perfect track to set the dreadful mood permeating “October Country,” and it introduces the project’s persistent theme of regretting the loss of a past love affair that left him decaying.
The tracklist is littered with highlights any Haunted Mound listener would be pleased with — the most notable one being the title track, “October Country.” Ghost begins exploring a brand new sound with angelic vocals to open the track and a long, drawn-out chorus tapping into melodies one might hear on a modern indie pop record. Still, Ghost maintains the muddy, buzzing instrumental he is known for. It’s a fresh and unexpected blend of styles that only he could pull off.
Other bright spots on “October Country” are “Hovel” and “Damien,” the latter featuring Sematary. On “Hovel,” Ghost croons agonizing lyrics about wasting time waiting for a lost lover alongside a prominent electric guitar sample similar to the explosive sounds of a ’90s punk show. He begs his love interest to “stay the night” in what is perhaps the catchiest moment on the mixtape, gifting the listener with an earworm to remind them of Ghost’s heartbroken anguish for hours after listening.
“Damien” is another experimental song like the title track, but it showcases Ghost’s versatility in an entirely new way. He and Sematary spout washed out moans as a booming beat meshes to produce an ambient track like no other. It’s hard to tell what they’re saying, but that’s not the point. Listeners can feel the pain in the yearnful groans that serve more as instruments than vocals to be interpreted.
Still, there are a few weaker moments on the record. At times, it can feel repetitive with songs like “The Lake” and “Highway Hex” sounding like tracks you could come across on any record from the Haunted Mound collective. Although these tracks mix well with the aesthetic of “October Country,” someone who isn’t a seasoned Hauntaholic may feel burnt out by the continuous blasting drums and monotonous flows.
“Wayside” closes “October Country” as Ghost reluctantly lets go of the lover he pines for all throughout the mixtape. He even momentarily revisits the idea of “atoning” their relationship, but concludes this thought by defeatedly repeating the phrase “I know we won’t.” The beat leaves plenty of room for the listener to hear Ghost’s lyrics, allowing him to complete the central idea of the record: focusing on coping with this broken relationship he can’t move on from.
Through the deep, pain-ridden vocals that really only Ghost can do, he creates moments that bring the listener as close as possible to his emotional state, making one not only hear the themes, but feel them too. He orchestrates an experience that truly feels like losing someone, and it would be a grave mistake to miss out on it.
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