Rainbow Bridge 3
Sematary
Year: 2021
Genres: Horrorcore, experimental rap, trap metal
Descriptors: noisy, infernal, chaotic, violent, occult, male vocalist, anarchism, disturbing, paranormal, nihilistic, hateful, surreal, Halloween
7.5/10
Abrasive and evocative, Sematary’s Rainbow Bridge 3 is an angstful, cathartic, and almost desperate expression of his nihilistic depression and the suffering that comes with it.
Unfortunately, many people may be initially put off by the heavily distorted mixing and Sematary’s repetitive vocals. I definitely was at first, and I abandoned this album for almost a year after I first listened to it. Last winter, I really began to revisit it during a time where I really struggled with my mental health. The album’s incredibly loud and unapproachable nature also lends itself to a great sense of catharsis. Sometimes, I listened to this too way loud in my earbuds as I walked around campus in a desperate attempt to block out my thoughts. Although Sematary’s lyrics on this album may seem hostile and off-putting, those with mental health struggles can find solace in his portrayal of depression and nihilism. He expresses his attempts to deal with his sense of hopelessness through his rage and materialism in an evocative way: "I ain't wanna wake up but I'm still goin' hard" (“Meet By The River”). This track, by the way, is probably one of my favorites on the album; his desperation is almost palpable as his vocals become increasingly distorted and incomprehensible. These themes are present on the majority of Sematary’s works, as well as those by other members of his music collective Haunted Mound, but Rainbow Bridge 3 is probably my favorite example of them; he ties his materialistic, aggressive persona in perfectly with his true feelings of dread and desperation, and this contrast is what makes the album truly shine to me.
Furthermore, the character of “DJ Sorrow,” the “host” of this mixtape, reinforces these themes while adding a humorous touch with occasional vocal interjections: "I regret everything I've done! DJ SORROW!" (“Meet By The River”), "DJ SORROW! Laughin' through the pain! *airhorn sound effects*" (“Necromanser”), "D-D-D-D-DJ SORROW! Turn the FUCK UP!" (“Creepin’ Thru Da Woods”). The DJ tags don’t necessarily add much thematically, but it definitely hypes me up every time I hear them, and it’s a fun part of the album that I always look forward to. It was nice that he brought back the character for fellow Haunted Mound member Hackle’s album Haunted Nation.
Additionally, one thing that really speaks to me is that behind Sematary’s tough and violent caricature of a character is a genuinely caring advocate against bigotry. He expresses this in a way that doesn’t compromise the album’s themes–it actually fits in rather perfectly: "We don't dial 911, we skin you alive / Flamethrower a pig, bitch it's fucking bacon time / Knife shine bright while the blood moon smiles / Left them by the Haunted Mound where you buried your dog / I'm taking Nazi scalps / My soul to take, take you to my slaughter house" (“Skin Mask 2”) and "Creepin' down in the woods, feel like Captain Spaulding / Live free or die, I'm a knife-totin' patriot / I'ma slap a proud boy, I'ma slap a transphobe / Fuck what you're about, bitch, yeah it's Antifa mode" (“I’m a Sinner”) are just some of the countless lyrics combining his violent imagery with political activism. This is especially relevant given that Sematary frequently samples black metal songs, a genre with a serious Nazi problem.
I would bet that most listeners would find Rainbow Bridge 3 incredibly off-putting, no doubt about it. As mentioned previously, the mixing is incredibly harsh and abrasive, which works with the album’s themes perfectly. For example, the threshold of the master limiter on the song “Truey Jeans” is so low that the entire track is essentially slammed into it, creating a wall of sound. The song’s cymbal crashes are barely audible, as they’re immediately squashed down by the loud percussion and vocals. I used to think this effect was really annoying, but then I came to the realization that it’s what makes this album what it is; the “wall of sound” effect contributes perfectly to the desperate, rageful, and cathartic atmosphere Sematary attempts to create.
I definitely didn’t get my own pair of True Religion jeans because I thought he looked cool in the music video for the song “Truey Jeans,” hehe 🙂
Overall, I definitely recommending checking this album out because I hated it at first but it grew on me a ton in the past year or so. I know that most of my readers probably wouldn’t like music like this, but it’s helped me get through a lot of struggles in life, and I really do genuinely mean that.
Favorite tracks:
- Truey Jeans
- God’s Light Burns Upon My Flesh
- Creepin’ Thru Da Woods
- I’m a Sinner
- Meet By The River
- Skin Mask 2
Misses:
- Crucifixion
- Necromanser
- Come With Me To Hell
