it's quite possible your engine was detonating, my friends acura integra did the same thing because there was an air bubble in the cooling system and it kept revving and revving, his engine didn't pop though. a higher compression would deffinetly cause detenation, the air wsould get so hot as to combust actually burning the fuel before there was ever a spark, so running a higher octane fuel should clear the problem for you, or at least help you.