Listen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jmBzOujPYno
Ghost Mountain's first solo project shows some potential.
More rap reviews: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLP4CSgl7K7ormBIO138tYonB949PHnNcP
===================================
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Videos edited by Jeremy and Anthony / posted by Austen
===================================
FAV TRACKS: MOULDER, STALKS, KISMET, HIGHWAY HEX, KEVLAR
LEAST FAV TRACK: DAMIEN
GHOST MOUNTAIN - OCTOBER COUNTRY / 2025 / HAUNTED MOUND / WITCH HOUSE, EMO RAP, COLDWAVE
6/10
Y'all know this is just my opinion, right?
Ghost Mountain's first solo project shows some potential.
More rap reviews: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLP4CSgl7K7ormBIO138tYonB949PHnNcP
===================================
Subscribe: http://bit.ly/1pBqGCN
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/theneedledrop
Official site: http://theneedledrop.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/theneedledrop
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afantano
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@theneedletok
TND Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/theneedledrop
Videos edited by Jeremy and Anthony / posted by Austen
===================================
FAV TRACKS: MOULDER, STALKS, KISMET, HIGHWAY HEX, KEVLAR
LEAST FAV TRACK: DAMIEN
GHOST MOUNTAIN - OCTOBER COUNTRY / 2025 / HAUNTED MOUND / WITCH HOUSE, EMO RAP, COLDWAVE
6/10
Y'all know this is just my opinion, right?
Kategorie
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NewsTranskript
00:00Hi everyone, Booth and the Spooktanno here, the internet's busiest music nerd, and it's time for a review of this new Ghost Mountain album, October Country.
00:13Here we have a new mixtape and the first release in a while from elusive California rapper, singer and songwriter Ghost Mountain.
00:24Co-founder of the beloved Haunted Mound record label and music collective.
00:31Known for being the home to some of the most relevant artists on the underground horrorcore circuit these days, if you could even call it that.
00:40There's Buckshot, there's Turnabout, there's also Cemetery, who we've covered on this channel a few times already.
00:48And what each of them do at its core is undeniably hip-hop on some level, with a southern trap flair.
00:57But it's often filtered through this very gritty, ultra-distorted production and horror-themed aesthetics.
01:04Often nods as well to lots of underground and extreme metal music.
01:09Think something along the lines of, like, an old-school Norwegian black metal album crossed with a Trapaholics mixtape.
01:18And yeah, after that you will land somewhere close to what the Haunted Mound sound is.
01:25And despite efforts to really diversify it, especially on Cemetery's last full-length LP, Bloody Angel, it still remains a pretty singular vibe with a niche but intense appeal for those who fuck with it.
01:38Ghost Mountain, despite being a long-time affiliate of the Haunted Mound Collective, in recent years he has been one of the least visible.
01:46Which has generated a lot of rumors and questions among fans for years as to why.
01:52I mean, his last major project was a collaboration with Cemetery back in 2020, Hundred Acre Wrist.
01:58And he hasn't really put out a formal mixtape or album, to my knowledge, since then.
02:03But now we have October Country, which also makes for Ghost Mountain's solo debut as well.
02:09So you could say this moment has been in the making for a while, long-awaited even.
02:14But even with having time to really marinate, it doesn't prevent this album from being hit with at least a little bit of debut-itis.
02:23And just kind of generally lacking definition among the wide variety of influences it operates in.
02:30I would say the biggest surprise, though, I was hit with going into this record was just how kind of smooth the overall sound of it is.
02:36In its own way, it's pretty palatable for a Haunted Mound-affiliated release.
02:40It's not quite as caked in sunburnt distortion and punishingly blown-out drums.
02:46So yeah, that was unexpected, but maybe not necessarily adventurous sonically in the grander scheme of things.
02:54Because I feel like October Country offers a lot of derivative variations of sounds that I have heard quite a few times before, even though it has been a minute.
03:03I mean, Ghost Mountain is most definitely more of a crooner than a rapper for sure.
03:08And a lot of the vocal melodies on this record have a kind of emo rap quality to them.
03:13But if they were sort of slowed down and backed with very woozy, downright dreary trap beats that had a kind of creepy and murky tone to them.
03:22Heavy on the synths and really bringing a goth twist, I would say.
03:26In some ways it reminds me of often overlooked internet age acts that operate in the goth field.
03:32Like Grave Babies or similarly gloomy rappers with also very online fanbases such as Bones.
03:39And surprisingly, in discourse I have read around this record, I have seen some people here and there bring up the likes of Salem.
03:48Which, sure, I could see a grim, goth, rap, witch house parallel going on here.
03:55Look, call this album what you want, honestly.
03:57What you can really rely on the tracks held within this record for are a lot of 808 style drums.
04:04Very dense, syrupy, slow beats in production.
04:07Caked in a lot of dust and grime.
04:09Ghoulish lead vocals that are kind of heavily treated with effects and layers.
04:14Which, I do think there is something to this combination of sounds and ideas.
04:19But it's still a pretty basic fusion of all of these things and it doesn't make for the most versatile listening experience across the entirety of the album.
04:27Even if Ghost Mountain has a knack for catchy vocal melodies here and there on tracks like The Opener or Stalks or Kevlar.
04:35Because in its best moments October Country is a record that is fun, is intoxicating, is subtly eerie.
04:43And also kind of gives up the rap pretense and essentially starts dropping tracks that are kind of like DIY dance demos for goth night at the club.
04:52Songs like the title track and Wayside as well as Highway Hex, the much more superior of the two Cemetery tracks on this album, all kind of fit into that lane.
05:02Kismet as well goes in more of a rock direction.
05:05It's kind of like this warped drum machine slacker rock piece with very sloshy synths and chords that are equally dark and psychedelic too.
05:14But as decent as some of these highlights are, I feel like there are a lot of options out there if you're looking for something that scratches exactly these itches.
05:22And that it's going to take some work for Ghost Mountain to really generate something that is going to best any of that competition.
05:30The audience of Haunted Mound fans that may not even know that they're really just like kind of listening to goth music on this thing.
05:37Also I haven't really addressed the low points on the album of which there are several.
05:43Like for one the deadpan moaning vocal delivery that Ghost Mountain specializes in here only goes so far and gets kind of tiresome after a while.
05:52Also the pacing and tempo on By The Flame, especially given this vocal style, is absolutely excruciating.
05:59Plus the production on Damien is horrendously messy, especially when compared to everything else on the album beat-wise.
06:06But yeah, overall I feel like October Country is a start, definitely a start of sorts.
06:14But is it the best sounding album I have heard within the respective genre lanes it operates in?
06:20Not really. Is it one of the best records I think I've heard from the Haunted Mound collective?
06:26Not really either.
06:27I mean it's definitely cool and exciting to hear something slightly different from the label and to really see Ghost Mountain getting back into the swing of things after so long.
06:37In that respect I understand the hype behind this release for sure.
06:41But beyond that I don't know if this album is really bringing much else to the table.
06:45Which is why I'm currently kind of underwhelmed but still looking forward to hopefully more growth down the road on future records.
06:53I'm feeling a strong 5 too, a light 6 on this one.
06:57Transition, have you given this album a listen?
07:00Did you love it? Did you hate it? What would you rate it?
07:02You're the best, you're the best, what should I review next?
07:04Hit the like if you like, please subscribe and please don't cry.
07:07Hit the bell as well. Over here next to my head is another video that you can check out.
07:11Hit that up or the link to subscribe to the channel.
07:14Anthony Fantano, Ghost Mountain, forever.