Ice Nine Kills is a band described by their own BandCamp page as “theatricore,” a term that the band coined themselves. They are considered a hard rock or metal band, although their first few albums had punk roots. Their name is a reference to “Cat’s Cradle” by Kurt Vonnegut. However, their songs did not really make a splash until they released “The Silver Scream.”
“The Silver Scream: Welcome to Horrorwood” is a sequel to the band’s fifth studio album released in 2018, “The Silver Scream.” As with “The Silver Scream,” tracks off of “Welcome to Horrorwood” are all inspired by various horror films. The lyrics are rife with references to their respective movies. To date, this most recent album has been Ice Nine Kills’s biggest success. The album peaked at number one on Billboard’s US Top Hard Rock Albums for the week of October 30, 2021.
The album starts with “Opening Night…” a forty-three-second introduction in which it is explained that the thirteen songs of the album were hidden away until now, deemed “too grotesque” for the public; these tracks allegedly linked Ice Nine Kills frontman Spencer Charnas to the murder of his fiance.
“Welcome to Horrorwood,” as far as I am aware, is not based on any movie in particular. That does not stop it, however, from capturing my heart. It is a song in which Ice Nine Kills welcomes the listener back for a sequel to “The Silver Scream,” speaking, at times, directly to the audience. I think this song is catchy. Its opening lures the listener into a sense of security and then quickly evolves into a harder, metal sound.
“A Rash Decision” is based on Eli Roth’s 2002 directorial debut, “Cabin Fever.” This song is absolutely gorgeous. The lyrics deal with the dilemma faced by the characters of “Cabin Fever,” as, trapped in a cabin, they are forced to kill one another to contain the flesh-eating disease that keeps spreading. “Is it a crime to kill / if we’re only sinking deeper?” Interestingly enough, this song is not the only song of “Welcome to Horrorwood” to be based on one of Eli Roth’s films, the other being “Wurst Vacation.” I also applaud this song for an excellent reference to the ending of “Cabin Fever,” its lyrics stating that “the truth hits like a truck, all bottled up.”
“Assault & Batteries” covers an iconic film, “Child’s Play,” released in 1988. This song is overall incredibly entertaining, referencing the Toys R Us jingle at some points in the song. I think it is representative of the actual movie, mixing childish charm with coarse, catchy lyrics and, of course, reinforcing the fact that the antagonist of “Child’s Play” is literally a doll possessed by a murderer. This song genuinely makes me want to watch the movie it is based on.
“The Shower Scene” is based on a horror classic, 1960’s “Psycho,” produced and directed by Alfred Hitchcock. This is, in my opinion, the softest song on this album. Spencer Charnas does an equally amazing acoustic version of the song on the album’s deluxe version. Of course, the title references the iconic “shower scene” in which the protagonist is killed whilst showering; the song also samples the music used in that particular scene of the movie. The song also features the quote, “We all go a little mad sometimes,” a staple of the film. I think that my favorite part of this song is the background vocals, however. Charnas’s voice is haunting throughout.
“Funeral Derangements” is one of my absolute favorite songs off of this album, although it contains, admittedly, a good amount of screaming. However, I also believe that this song is an excellent example of the fact that metal music is rooted, at its core, in the classical genre. The melodies featured in this song are beautiful. I also love how theatrical this song is, being a fan of musicals. “Funeral Derangements” is based on the 1989 film “Pet Sematary,” which in turn is based on the 1983 horror novel by Stephen King. As “Pet Sematary” states, “Sometimes, dead is better.”
“Rainy Day” is an interesting outlier, as it is based on “Resident Evil,” a franchise more known for its video games than its movies. This is also a song that I would play for someone less interested in heavier songs. It is not quite as soft as “The Shower Scene,” but it is still a good song. It draws from the plot of the “Resident Evil” film, which I did not even realize existed, following a man-made zombie apocalypse. The fictional bio-weapon company featured in “Resident Evil,” Umbrella Corporation, tends to “save the truth for a rainy day.”
“Hip to be Scared” featuring Jacoby Shaddix, the lead singer of Papa Roach, is one of Ice Nine Kills’s most popular songs. Its popularity is not unwarranted, in my opinion. I just recently watched “American Psycho,” released in 2000, and the song fits the film it is based on perfectly. This song was the album’s debut single and how I originally discovered Ice Nine Kills as a band. Its title is a play on “Hip to be Square” by Huey Lewis and the News, a nod to the scene in the movie in which Patrick Bateman kills Paul Allen. The music video is also a great nod to the film as a whole. The skits throughout the song are fun and enhance the overall mood. The song ends the same way that the film does, with Bateman stating that his confession “has meant nothing.”
“Take Your Pick” featuring Corpsegrinder is probably my least favorite song off of “Welcome to Horrorwood.” Generally, I am not a huge fan of songs that are “screamo” the whole way through. This song is no exception. It is also sort of jarring to hear after “Hip to be Scared.” I do have to admit that the introduction “soon hearts will be broken…you’ll fall headless over heels once the fourteenth is here,” is quite charming. This song is based on the 1981 Canadian film “My Bloody Valentine,” a movie that I had never heard of before listening to this album. It follows a miner committing murders on Valentine’s Day and is supposedly quite gory.
“The Box” featuring Brandon Saller of Atreyu and Ryan Kirby of Fit for a King is the next song on “Welcome to Horrorwood.” It is based on the British sci-fi film “Hellraiser,” released in 1987. I had not heard much about “Hellraiser” before listening to this album. I feel like I had heard about it a handful of times, but had never really known what it was about. I like “The Box,” the guitar heard throughout lends the song a nice effect.
“F.L.Y.” featuring Buddy Nielsen of Senses Fail, covers “The Fly.” This movie, remade in 1986, honestly cemented my fear of the body horror genre and my opinion that Jeff Goldblum is a great actor. My father turned it on while I was in the room when I was younger and I still have not recovered. Still, maybe someday I will give the movie a proper watch. This song is a little repetitive, but I personally really enjoy it. “I’m not saying I’m not playing god” are my favorite lyrics from “F.L.Y.” The song feels a little bit melancholy, which in my opinion is perfect, seeing as “The Fly” ends on a tragic note. It smoothly transitions into the next song, “Wurst Vacation.”
“Wurst Vacation,” my personal favorite Ice Nine Kills song, covers my favorite horror movie, Eli Roth’s 2005 film “Hostel,” a movie featuring human trafficking overseas for the sake of torture. “Hostel” is such a horrifying movie because there likely is a place such as the one featured in the film, albeit more discrete. It is even more horrific that, in the movie, it is shown that the authorities are aware of the trade, but allow it to continue because of the money that it makes the country. My only qualm with this song is the use of German lyrics while “Hostel” takes place in Slovakia. Still, the German lyrics give this song a bit of a Rammstein feel. Plus, it gives the song the opportunity for its title to play on the German word for sausage, “wurst,” while calling back to the fact that the vacation featured in “Hostel” is, to put it lightly, the worst vacation possible. I especially enjoy the lyrics, “Inked in our flesh forever / a day to dismember,” referring to the nature of “Hostel” as a whole. Of course, “Hostel” is a comfort movie for me, reminding me of my father and my brother, so I am a little biased. I was originally introduced to the series because my father mentioned wanting to watch it with my brother and I, of course, was curious as to what exactly they were going to watch. Additionally, this is the song that got me into Ice Nine Kills. The skit near the end of the song directly taking quotes from Josh’s death scene in the movie is perfect.
“Ex-Mørtis,” the next song, is based on “The Evil Dead,” a franchise that originated in 1981. I like this one, even though I do not know much about “The Evil Dead,” aside from the fact that it is a supernatural horror film. Regardless, “Ex-Mørtis” is an upbeat song that makes for a fun listen.
The last track on the original “Welcome to Horrorwood” album is “Farewell II Flesh,” based on 1992’s “Candyman.” In one part, this song samples “Flight of the Bumblebee” by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, which I find incredibly cool, seeing as a large symbol of the Candyman is his bees. Like “Welcome to Horrorwood,” this one starts relatively soft and then evolves into a harder sound. I think it is a good ending to the album.
However, the deluxe edition of “Welcome to Horrorwood” also includes “Meat & Greet,” a song that references “Silence of the Lambs,” made in 1991. The lyrics “the silence is circling / like lambs to the slaughter / this dance never ends” are a pretty clear nod to the movie that this song is about. Even though this song is not on the original “Welcome to Horrorwood,” I feel that it makes a nice addition to the album, fitting with the rest of the songs.
Overall, my favorite songs from this album have to be “Wurst Vacation,” “A Rash Decision,” “Funeral Derangements” and “F.L.Y.” I absolutely adore this album – I am eagerly awaiting the release of the third “Silver Scream” album. I would recommend this album for horror or metal fans anywhere.