Milwaukee-based progressive doom/avant-garde project Liminal Spirit, the brainchild of multi-instrumentalist Jerry Hauppa (also of Deorbit), has released a brand-new guitar playthrough video for the haunting title track off the latest EP, “Unwell,” which dropped on October 31st.
The playthrough showcases Hauppa’s use of microtonal guitar, a technique employed on three of the EP’s five tracks, which lends the music its alien and foreboding atmosphere. “Unwell” is a centerpiece of the record, reflecting the disjointed mental state of the main character, Phillip, an elderly dementia patient haunted by vengeful spirits. The track’s distorted, unsettling sound mirrors Phillip’s unraveling psyche and sets the stage for the EP’s descent into horror.
Released on Halloween, “Unwell” is Liminal Spirit’s third EP, following the ritualistic debut and the frenzied, intricate “Pathways.” This latest release combines progressive complexity with strong individual song identities, weaving a cinematic narrative of memory loss, guilt, and spiritual judgment.
The EP tells the story of Phillip, admitted to a nursing home by his children, Jonathon and Madeline. As his faculties fade, he is tormented by two ghostly children who accuse him of murder. Across five tracks, Admittance, Unwell, Visiting Day, EOLC, and A Better Place, Phillip’s journey spirals from confusion to damnation, culminating in his violent death and descent into hell.
“My goal with this record is to explore ideas that represent some of my greatest fears. Given my previous experience in nursing homes from a former job, I can tell you they are the most miserable places on Earth, and I would hate to spend my final days there. I also couldn’t imagine the loss of my own faculties and have a lingering fear of spiritual judgment when passing on to the next plane,” says Hauppa.
Liminal Spirit is a progressive doom/avant-garde metal project known for its ritualistic, story-driven compositions. Influenced by artists like Skepticism, Anata, My Bloody Valentine, Jesu, and Confessor, Hauppa’s sound defies easy categorization, blending old-school death metal with psychedelic electronic textures.
“Unwell” is available now on all major streaming platforms.
