In a perfect world, the entire month of October would be an unsettlingly overcast affair, dense with the smell of far-off fires. Based on New York-based artist Eartheater’s forthcoming second album, RIP Chrysalis, she would agree, but might take it a few steps further, adding a lot more dread to the month leading up to All Hallows Eve. Based on that demonic album cover alone, which looks like it could be an iconic pagan artwork from a previous century, you know to prepare for a deeply unnerving excavation.

Eartheater’s “Mask Therapy” is a disquieting missive that finds Alex Drewchin whispering and howling about the metaphysical implications about wearing costumes, and not just the sexy pizza rat kind. Eartheater’s version of Halloween music is far more unsettling than a simple jump scare; all the distant instrumental fidgets and Drewchin’s shrieks signaling a assured descent into psychosis. Rather than an obvious portent of danger, the track is strangely soothing, meant to lull you into a false sense of security. “Mask Therapy” would ideally accompany the origin story scene of a psychological thriller, wherein the subject initially lost his/her/its mind before terrorizing an unsuspecting community.

Digging how creepy this is? Check out Eartheater’s Car Tunes and Cartoons mix, and be sure to grab her second album, RIP Chrysalis on October 20 via Hausu Mountain.

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Images by Alex Broadwell,