With summer coming to an end and leaves starting to turn the colors we love, Semetary’s new single, “King Of The Graveyard,” is a must listen. Known for his haunting imagery and looks, Semetary is an experimental hip-hop artist from California who has a sound that is like no other. Drawing inspiration from artists such as Chief Keef and Yung Lean, Semetary blends sounds seamlessly while completely overhauling production. He belongs to a group known as Haunted Mound, who are described as “witch house, trap and drill.” He’s an artist who is not anywhere near the mainstream but has a large underground following of fans that cling to his style and music. Many of Semetary’s songs are grimey, deep-fried and full of blasting bass, alongside blaring producer tags.
“King Of The Graveyard” is dark, unsettling and violent. Starting off with creepy samples and a booming bass, Semetary ropes listeners in. The song doesn’t seem to have any down time for the listener to breathe, creating this closed-in feeling. Semetary’s slurred speech and delivery is haunting in itself, but the lyrics only add to the atmosphere, with lines like:
“My lungs prolly black as the night ’cause I’m smokin’ that cancer /
Yeah, I pull up with cutters, bitch, I am a Haunted Mound Reaper.”
It’s so blunt it comes off comical but also just downright disturbing, especially with the distorted vocals and autotune. There’s so much going on that it takes multiple listens through the track to hear every little detail in the beat and vocals. But for the few minutes listening, I’m transported to a whole different world — like I am in a Rob Zombie movie or even a slasher movie getting chased. The song is nightmare fuel and a horror fan’s dream.
Semetary continues to paint these grim and gruesome scenes while blending traditional trap sounds with his own unique spin. “King Of Graveyard” adds to Semetary’s already impressive catalog of music, and he continues to kill these tracks while carving out a sound so distinctive and defined, no one else could claim it as their own. With disturbing visuals and style, Semetary has been at the front lines of foraging a new subgenre of hip-hop, and this song is no different from his past works, while still adding a fresh and compelling spin to keep the listener engaged from start to finish. “King Of The Graveyard” is not for everyone, but for those willing to explore this dark and depraved song, it is truly an odd yet incredible experience.
