HAUNT-O-HOLIXXX THE MIXTAPE: Semetary’s first solo album of 2025
Friday, October 31, saw the release of Semetary’s new album, HAUNT-O-HOLIXXX THE MIXTAPE. Originally teased a whole year prior, the album was highly anticipated by fans.
With 28 original songs featuring his fellow Haunted Mound members Ghost Mountain and Hackle, as well as emo rap legend Wicca Phase Springs Eternal, the album was well received by those who had been waiting patiently.
Narrowing it down to just five favourites was a challenge, but these were Music News Blitz’s Nisha Cullen’s standouts on the mixtape.
SCREAM MASK SHAWTY
The fourth track on the album, “SCREAM MASK SHAWTY,” is delivered in a way that almost makes it sound pop-like in comparison with the usual Semetary song, while still maintaining the ‘deep-fried’ and ‘horrorcore’ nature of his music.
The chorus of “SCREAM MASK SHAWTY” is incredibly catchy, bordering on danceable.
If someone was interested in horrorcore music, this would be a great entry point song for them; it still has those classic elements, such as horror themes and distorted audio, but with much more eligible lyrics and a fun, almost Y2K inspired beat in the background.
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BLEED ON ME
Another track that seems out there from the rest of the mixtape, “BLEED ON ME,” the sixth song off the album, has very clear Soundcloud emo rap influences.
The chorus is very reminiscent of songs from Gothboiclique, like Lil Peep or Lil Tracy.
Even the lyrics in the verses, such as “I'm a sick boy, I'm a sad boy” and “I want a Hummer truck, just like Gucci Mane,” really reminded me of the lyrics we saw during that emo rap era of music on Soundcloud.
I also have to mention the guitar in the background of “BLEED ON ME,” as it stands out especially on this song, creating dimension, especially on this track, which made for a really appealing listen.
LAURA
Featuring Ghost Mountain and Wicca Phase Springs Eternal, “LAURA” showcases the storytelling abilities of Semetary.
The 12th track on the album is heavily inspired by David Lynch and Mark Frost’s TV show Twin Peaks, with Laura being a character from the show.
Semetary himself has confirmed that there is a second reference to David Lynch’s work in the song with the phrase ‘in dreams,’ referring to a song by Roy Orbison, which is featured in Blue Velvet, a film by David Lynch, who passed away in January of this year.
The lyrics are dark, acting as a warning of sorts to someone who they will leave by the river, ‘like Laura,’ a direct reference to an event that occurred in the Twin Peaks TV show.
While the story being told is one that is dark and unwelcoming, Semetary, Ghost Mountain and Wicca Phase Springs Eternal do a great job telling it through this song, making it an enjoyable listen.
GRAVE ROBBER
The 20th track on the album, “GRAVE ROBBER,” is a perfect example of Semetary’s absurd lyrics.
It is the only song on the album not produced by Semetary or the rest of Haunted Mound. Ticox really brought a new sound to the album.
The beat behind Semetary’s distorted vocals is almost similar to one that could be found in a video game, contrasting to the dark lyrics about grave robbing.
It shouldn’t work, but somehow it does, creating a - despite the lyrics - fun and very listenable track.
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ICED OUT BLACK OPS
The 25th track on the album, featuring Hackle, “ICED OUT BLACK OPS,” is by far my favourite song off this new album.
With a beat reminding me of Geometry Dash, Semetary delivers a classic rap chorus, along with a verse.
Hackle delivers a really classic bridge and a verse, and altogether creates a really polished song. Well, as polished as a Haunted Mound track can be.
This song is incredibly catchy. The fun game inspired beat really has a part to play in how catchy it is.
“ICED OUT BLACK OPS” really is a classic Semetary song with a great feature from Hackle, and I have definitely re-listened many times.
Overall opinions
While Semetary’s music is not for everyone, as a fan of his music, I think this album really showcased and encapsulated his versatility within his own genre of music.
Not every song on the album was an instant favourite. With 28 tracks, it is easy to have a few misses.
Despite this, many of the songs on this new album have been added to my current music rotation and will definitely stay there for a while.
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