AN NCS PREMIERE: LIMINAL SPIRIT — “A BETTER PLACE”

(written by Islander)

The song we’re about to premiere marked our introduction to Liminal Spirit. Both that name and Liminal Spirit’s music may be new to you too, so we’ll begin by sharing what we’ve learned — including what we know about the unusual subject matter of the forthcoming EP (Unwell) that includes the song we’re premiering.

Liminal Spirit is the solo project of Milwaukee-based multi-instrumentalist Jerry Hauppa. Prior to this, he was involved in the sludge metal band Northless, the death metal band Ara, and the instrumental space-focused band Deorbit. He has referred to Liminal Spirit’s recordings as “seance music”, a fusion of genre ingredients “designed to channel spiritual passage”. That fusion could be summed up as “progressive doom metal”, but as you’ll discover, that shorthand isn’t quite complete.

As mentioned, Liminal Spirit’s new EP, the project’s third one since a self-titled debut in 2023, is named Unwell. The instrumentation includes microtonal guitar work on three of the five songs, as well as Hauppa‘s performances on bass, violin, and synth, as well as his programming of the drums. Here’s how he describes the EP’s disturbing narrative concept:

“I have a lot to say about what I’ve done with the album, but the main goal was an exploration of some of my biggest fears. I’ve worked in nursing homes and they are absolutely miserable places, and it is a tragedy that if we are lucky enough to live that long, that is where we will most likely end up.

“Losing control of my faculties, mental and physical decline, and the pondering of the unknown are all lingering fears overcasting my younger years, and I wanted to explore that musically, but also develop the idea of building sympathy for a character with dementia, only to find out that he is actually a monster who has done some horrific things despite not remembering them.

“I wanted to tell a story showing that you are on the hook for your deeds no matter what – even if you can’t remember them or if your mental decline has eroded away the part of you that is capable of heinous acts. I wanted the music to reflect the contemplation of a sick and addled person, and brought it together using microtonal guitars that provide an alien-sounding character to the music.

“The music written for the record also is tied to the seeking of spiritual salvation referenced in the song ‘Welcome to My World’ from Jim Reeves, recorded in 1962 and presented here in the first track of the album as the character listens to it one last time for peace of mind. The melody for this song is manipulated repeatedly throughout the record as our main character, Phillip, seeks salvation despite the blight on his soul from acts he has forgotten, but unlike what is heard on the Jim Reeves song, those who can provide salvation do not take kindly to Phillip as judgment nears.”

The EP begins with Phillips’ admission into the nursing home by his two children Jonathon and Madeline. He is aware that his memory and body are failing, and he is haunted by the spirits of two children (as seen from his perspective on the EP’s cover art) who claim he murdered them years ago, though he recalls nothing of any such events. Hauppa explains: “During the climax of the record, Phillip is killed by the vengeful spirits, then is cast into hell in the epilogue of the record.”

******

The song we’re premiering, “A Better Place“, is that closing track. In its narrative, Phillip passes into a purgatory where he is judged for his actions, and ultimately cast into hell — not the better place he hoped for.

The music manifests this denouement with sounds of mangling discordance and ruthless pounding. The hammering and thudding beats don’t create an easy rhythm, but instead generate a pattern that takes away any sense of balance. Shrill ethereal tones rise up and strangely quiver from within the dissonant, mangling morass of sonic oppressiveness. Wailing vocals rise up too, adding to the song’s hallucinatory and haunting ingredients.

The experience is unsettling and unearthly. Warbling spoken words come and go. The dense backing noise is cruel and searing as well as abysmal. The pounding is as vehement as it is destabilizing — until it vanishes, yielding to a cacophonous and indeed hellish finale in which the music itself seems to descend. Siren-like bursts of sound and tormented screams close out the nightmare.

Unwell will be available on all major streaming platforms on October 31st, and it’s recommended for fans of Skepticism, Jesu, Confessor, Cynic, and Anata. We’re also including a stream of the EP’s previously released title track, which comes second in the EP’s running order.

PRE-ORDER:
https://liminalspirit.bandcamp.com/album/unwell

LIMINAL SPIRIT:
https://www.facebook.com/people/Liminal-Spirit/61575618106702/
https://www.instagram.com/liminal_spirit_mke