Top 5 New-Age Ice Nine Kills Songs

In support of their most recent release, the incredible album The Silver Scream 2: Welcome to Horrorwood, metalcore virtuosos Ice Nine Kills have joined forces with hard rock luminaries Black Veil Brides and metalcore linchpins Motionless in White to embark on the “Trinity of Terror” tour, a 31-date triple-headlining trek that began on March 17 in Mesa, AZ and ends on April 27 in Norfolk, VA. I’ll be at the show on April 24 in Myrtle Beach, SC, seeing the New England-based theatrical metalcore crew live for the third time and the fellow headliners for the first. Ice Nine Kills has become one of my all-time favorite bands over the years, and even though this’ll be my third time seeing them, I still can’t even begin to explain my excitement and anticipation. Like I said in my previous article about Motionless in White, it’s going to take a separate article to properly explain how much I love this band and why their music is so important to me, but what I’ll say now is that their music has never let me down as a fan of both metal music and horror movies, and they’re one of those bands that I’ll do whatever it takes to make it out to one of their shows whenever they play near me.

I wrote a top 5 list about Ice Nine Kills last month, choosing to highlight their older songs before their shift into writing thematic material about books and movies, so while I’m getting ready to see them again it feels right to do another list for this new period in their careers. With only three albums’ worth of music to choose from, it’s still extremely difficult to narrow it down to just five songs, but I’m going to try my best.

I’ll be focusing on how well the song represents the subject they are talking about, whether that’s through the music, the lyrics, or both. Ice Nine Kills have proven how familiar they are with the source material they write about, and I want to highlight the songs that I feel have done the most justice to the book or movie they’ve based the song on. I’ll also be spotlighting my favorite lyrics from each song, ones that I feel told the story of the subject matter the best, were performed really well in my opinion, were simply clever and I can’t help but appreciate them, or a combination of the three.

Before the main list though, here are some honorable mentions, because there’s no such thing as too much Ice Nine Kills: ‘Thank God It’s Friday,’ (Based on Friday the 13th, 1980), ‘F.L.Y,’ (Based on The Fly, 1986), ‘The Nature of the Beast,’ (Based on Animal Farm, 1945), ‘Farewell II Flesh’ (Based on Candyman, 1992)

5. ‘Wurst Vacation’ (The Silver Scream 2: Welcome to Horrorwood), Based on Hostel (2006)

I want to preface this by saying I love The Silver Scream 2: Welcome to Horrorwood with all my heart. It was my favorite album of last year, I listen through it at least once a day to stay sane, and I hope Ice Nine Kills does a tour where they play the whole album in full one day, so believe me when I tell you I’m a little upset that this is the only track from the album that I’m putting on the list. It’s not meant to diminish the other songs on the album, but as much as it’s about the music, it’s also about the source material, and some of the works that had the biggest impact on me came from previous releases. It doesn’t mean I love the music any less, but it’s about balance, and I want to write about the songs that cover some of my favorite films and books because the way the band handles them with their outstanding songwriting means that much more to me.

Here’s how great Ice Nine Kills is – I loved this song so much when I heard it, it convinced me to see the movie it was about. As much as I love horror, I’ve never been a fan of the torture subgenre that came into prominence in the mid 2000s and early 2010s, so Eli Roth’s 2006 staple of the subset was just one of those films that never piqued my curiosity. However, with this song being one of my favorites of the album, I decided to give the movie a chance, and it only made me appreciate the song even more. Not only will the ringing of the guitars in the intro get stuck in your head for weeks, but the chorus is just as catchy, on top of the fact that the band found a way to take lines from the film and fit them into the lyrics throughout the song (with my favorite example of this being “I’m going old school, a gun is too American”), as well as perfectly integrating the German language in some parts. While I don’t recommend that everyone sees the movie because it’s pretty gruesome, I do implore everyone to at least give the song a shot.

Favorite Lyrics: “On this trip there are no survivors, and in this club your life don’t mean scheisse”

4. ‘The American Nightmare’ (The Silver Scream), Based on A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)

I can’t think of a better opening to 2018’s The Silver Scream – not only does it start by covering a film and character that everyone’s familiar with whether they’ve seen the movie or not, but they kick things off with a force as otherworldly as the slasher in the spotlight. While most bands that write about horror films, this one in particular, normally write either from the standpoint of one of Freddy Krueger’s victims or simply recap the events of the movie in the third person, Ice Nine Kills brings a fresh point-of-view by writing from the perspective of Krueger himself, bringing his sadistic thirst for vengeance to the forefront. Much like Robert Englund’s portrayal of the character, as evil and scornful as the lyrics may be, there’s still a tongue-in-cheek nature to them with the wordplay that’s sprinkled in. Musically, it’s a figurative slash across the chest that one can expect from Freddy Krueger, only enhanced by how the band mixes in parts of Charles Bernstein’s score for the film in a way that only they know how.

Favorite Lyrics: “They all think it’s just pretend/you’ll never ever sleep again/all your friends are fucking dead/you can’t turn down your own death bed”

3. ‘Rocking the Boat’ (The Silver Scream), Based on Jaws (1975)

There are so many layers to this song, and it’s awesome no matter how you look at it – of course, the iconic 1975 film about a giant great white shark ravaging the lives of summertime hotspot Amity Island is faithfully represented in several ways, but so is the history of Ice Nine Kills as a band. Former vocalist Jeremy Schwartz makes a return here in the second verse and the bridge, but there are also lyrical references to previous albums throughout the entire song (“reel them in with Every Trick in the Book,” “Last Chance to Make Amends, so try to stay afloat,” “Sinking with The Burning embers,” “Safe is Just a Shadow, so we swim towards the light,” “The Predator will soon become the Prey”). On top of how they tackle the subject matter of the film itself, complete with the recitation of iconic lines and the mention of important themes of the movie, this self-referential move is a detail that’s sure to bring a smile to any hardcore Ice Nine Kills fan’s face (this one included).

Favorite Lyrics: “We’re all just floating in a shallow grave/buoyed by the blood of the masses, they’d rather sell out instead of save”

2. ‘Communion of the Cursed’ (Every Trick in the Book, 2015), Based on The Exorcist (1973)

For those who don’t know, William Friedkin’s 1973 masterpiece, The Exorcist, is one of my favorite movies of all time, and words can’t explain how happy I am with how Ice Nine Kills approached this song. They proved they weren’t cutting any corners from the very beginning, with the intro containing a soundbite from an actual exorcism, one of the 67 rituals performed on the young German woman Anneliese Michel from 1975 to 1976. The dynamic of the band was the perfect foundation to perform this kind of song, with lead vocalist Spencer Charnas and guitarist/vocalist Justin “JD” DeBlieck taking on the roles of the demon that possesses 14-year-old Regan MacNeil and the exorcist that expels it, respectively. The back-and-forth between vocalists that became so common in the band’s music couldn’t have been more fitting for the concept of the song, emphasizing the battle between good and evil that engulfs the film.

On top of the musical competence and the amazing exchanges between both singers, it wouldn’t mean anything if it wasn’t for the incredible lyrics that perfectly chronicle the events of the film’s climax. Just take a look at some of these lines – “I am the darkness deep within, the devil in her daughter’s skin, and I’ll be there ‘til the bitter end,” and “through the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, I will lure this parasite from its wholesome host/eternally, my last decree, if a soul must be taken I demand you take me” – these aren’t metalcore lyrics this is poetry! Another lyrical highlight was how they altered the words to a common children’s bedtime prayer (“now I lay her down to sleep, her soul is mine and mine to keep/if she dies before she wakes, I’ll find another soul to take”). Simply put, Ice Nine Kills understood the assignment, and they perfected it like nobody else could.

Favorite Lyrics: “You spent your life in his light, still faith can’t save you tonight/yet evil stands the test of time, I cannot be crucified”

1. ‘Your Number’s Up’ (The Silver Scream: Final Cut, 2019), Based on Scream (1996)

This is another subject that requires its own article, but Wes Craven’s 1996 meta-slasher sensation, Scream, is another one of my favorites. In my opinion, it’s the greatest slasher film ever made and has the greatest opening scene in all of cinema (none of this is open for debate either, by the way). Knowing how near and dear the film is to frontman Spencer Charnas’ heart as well, I know it would be in good hands if Ice Nine Kills ever did choose to write a song about it. Fast forward to October 2019, a year after the first Silver Scream is released, the band re-releases the album under the name The Silver Scream: Final Cut, featuring bonus tracks such as acoustic renditions of the album’s singles, a cover of Michael Jackson’s ‘Thriller,’ and a new original song – ‘Your Number’s Up,’ based on Scream.

As expected, Ice Nine Kills understood the assignment once again, recounting the entire opening scene of the film in the span of just three minutes. For such a short song, the band hit all the marks and checked every box, leaving no stone unturned and no phone unanswered. With the help of guest vocalist Sarah J Bartholemew, the band flawlessly pays homage to the best opening kill the slasher genre will ever know, with the same energy and passion that beats in every horror fan’s heart. They beautifully incorporate Marco Beltrami’s score between verses and towards the end of the film, and their lyrics contain the same witty and satirical tone as Craven’s film (one can’t help but crack a smile at the line, “all bets are off, I just buried Drew Barrymore), again incorporating quotes and adding their own touch on certain themes. Much like the movie, there’s so much to love about this song, and it’s a must-listen for any slasher fan.

Favorite Lyrics: “Have you not seen this movie?/Freddy, Michael, Jason Voorhees, learn from those who came before me/next question, same category/such a familiar story” + “The knife in you brings out the life in me/last seen in a slasher’s dream/when your number’s up, it’s time to scream”

If you like what you heard from this list, you can check out even more of the band's music wherever you listen (Spotify, Apple, Amazon Music, YouTube, physical copies, etc.). You can also buy their merch and keep up with their tour dates by visiting their website here.

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