Chosen by Monk
The title track from this latest concept EP – being released on Halloween – from Milwaukee-based multi-instrumentalist Jerry Hauppa is an appropriately unsettling exploration of themes such as memory, guilt and spiritual reckoning delivered via a fusion of progressive doom metal with avant-garde narrative techniques, crafting what the composer and musician describes as “seance music”, a genre-defying sonic ritual meant to stir movement between spiritual realms:
Explaining the narrative concept of his latest release, Hauppa told us:
My goal with this record is to explore ideas that represent some of my greatest fears. Having worked in nursing homes, I’ve seen firsthand how miserable they can be. The thought of losing my faculties and facing spiritual judgment terrifies me—and that’s what I wanted to capture
‘Unwell’ follows the story of Phillip, an elderly dementia patient confined to a nursing home, haunted by the spirits of two children who claim he murdered them decades ago. As Phillip’s mind unravels, the music mirrors his psychological collapse, shifting from jazz-inspired calm to microtonal chaos and oppressive distortion. The EP culminates in Phillip’s death and spiritual judgment, casting him into hell in a chilling epilogue.
The lead single and title track captures Phillip’s inner turmoil and identity crisis. Composed on microtonal guitars, the song’s alien tonalities and increasing distortion reflect his fractured mental state. “Unwell” is a sonic embodiment of isolation and existential dread, setting the tone for the EP’s descent into darkness.
- ‘Unwell‘ will be released on Friday 31 October.