I had a couple mower tractors that acted the same. Ended up the tiny vent hole in the gas cap was plugged. Try running with a loose cap and see if that changes anything,
Engine started to sound very loud and backfires at high RPM/under load. Took the head off and found carbon buildup in the intake valve chamber (could also see backflow from carburator when running rough). Cleaned & hand lapped both valves and set clearance. Doing an air pressure check when back...