LIVE REVIEW: Ice Nine Kills, SKYND, O2 Forum Kentish Town, London, 02/06/2023
Photo Credit: Jack Geddes (Glasgow – 6th June)
Halloween traditionally falls on October 31st, but for metalcore meets horror fanatics Ice Nine Kills the frightening season has lasted two decades. Inspired directly by some of the best art forms of the horror genre, from The Shining to Texas Chainsaw Massacre to IT, Ice Nine have fleshed out horrifying visuals and have twisted them with soul crushing metal anthems in the vein of Disturbed to Korn to Slipknot to curate this silver screen blockbuster of a band they have become.
Bringing their horror aesthetic to a live setting would seem something only a Broadway production could accommodate, but as the Rainy Day hitmakers step out in a cloud of eerie smoke and a gruesome guillotine backdrop adorning their name, it becomes apparent that any sized venue like tonight’s two thousand cap Kentish Town can host Horrorwood.
Evoking the shock factor early on, Sydney’s SKYND’s demeanour is that of an evil ice queen, ice cold cool with a blood curdling vocal range to match. Visually SKYND give an air of a fantasy Courtney LaPlante of Spiritbox and sonically the Aussie two piece are coursing through the same veins as Ice Nine Kills, their songs they subject Kentish Town to detail the murder, mystery and manslaughters committed by some of the most notorious killers in history from set opener Richard Ramirez to closer Gary Heidnik. Weird, wacky and wild, SKYND are a true crime podcast in music form. 8/10
The show you are about to see tonight was meant to take place three months prior. But after being pushed back, you can’t help but feel Ice Nine have a standard to shatter tonight and they’re did in spades. Opener Funeral Derangments explodes into this chaotic scene from a film, the band suited and booted in white smart shirts and black dressy trousers to match, mastermind Spencer Charnas running around like a madman screaming “Dead is better!”, as two thousand very alive fans scream it back from the top of their lungs.
When the set descends onto songs IT Is The END, The Shower Scene and Farewell II Flesh, Ice Nine Kills’ fascination and fixation with iconic horror come into full effect. It Is The End sees scenes from IT played out, main characters Pennywise and Georgie both on stage, whereas The Shower Scene transports the audience into the bathroom of the iconic Psycho scene and Farewell II Flesh depicts Charnas as super slasher Candyman, adorned in the infamous coat and hook the film portrays.
Just as if you have been engrossed in the twists and turns of a good horror film, Ice Nine Kills’ fourteen song setlist goes by in the blink of an eye. The band welcomes us to Horrorwood but waves goodbye with it too, as Welcome To Horrorwood is the dramatic climax to this scarily good theatrical display Ice Nine Kills have showcased tonight, one that is certainly blood curdling enough to wake the dead below us. 9/10
Written By: Katie Conway-Flood
Photo Credit: Jack Geddes (Glasgow – 6th June)
