PHOTOS: Ice Nine Kills at the Aztec Theatre in San Antonio

Ice Nine Kills
Aztec Theatre, San Antonio, TX
November 14, 2019

By Michael Mullenix

Thursday, November 14^th, The Aztec Theatre in San Antonio hosted a bone-chilling evening of the macabre with the Boston-based Metalcore band, Ice Nine Kills. With a reputation for incredibly elaborate stage-setups, the band had backdrops and inflatable props that supported their latest album, The Silver Scream, and made reference to horror films such as Nightmare On Elmstreet, Saw, Halloween, IT, and The Shining. All of this set the proper tone as they took the stage launching on the hit single, Thank God It’s Friday, with singer Spencer Charnas dawning a Jason Vorhees Mask and wielding a [hopefully] prop machete. The setlist served as a showcase to the Silver Scream, an album in which each song is a callback to a famous scary movie. As a result, this prompted Charnas to reflect the shift in film by changing his costume and even bringing up an actress to portray various “final-girls.” One of the highlights was a stagehand running around in a giant shark costume for the song Rocking The Boat (Jaws). With the album nearly on full display, it was a fantastic chance to take in the impact that it has left on the modern metal landscape. The band’s stock has seemingly skyrocketed in the past year, and it’s no exaggeration to say this album has tapped into something infectious, highlighting a relatable fandom in the community. On a writing level though, these songs are super catchy and the hooks of the songs (see what I did there) are pure anthems. Songs like Stabbing In The Dark or the American Nightmare showcase a breakthrough production from the band. This the point where a band doesn’t merely put out a good song but instead delivers a fist-pumping hit! What stands out in all of this, and what most Metal commentators have tapped into by now, these songs are fun. It feels so simplistic, but like the movies they homage, these songs cross levels of appeal and are meant to be enjoyed with close friends… or an entire theatre in San Antonio. Appropriately the show came to a close on IT Is The End, a song that allowed Spencer Charnas one last wardrobe change as Pennywise The Dancing Clown, and the chance to crowd surf his own audience who elevated him for the final chorus in the spotlight.

ICE NINE KILLS GALLERY

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Michael Mullenix

Growing up around the world, Michael developed a taste and appreciation for all styles of music. While studying film making at Boston University, he dove headfirst into a mosh-pit and never came out. It was in Boston that he combined his love of film and photography with his drive and passion for being a chronicler of the underground music scene. After graduation he headed to Los Angeles and for over a decade has worked with some of the top musicians and actors in the entertainment industry. Lured to Austin by the cultural explosion in the music and film scenes taking place there, he relocated two years ago and describes Austin as a cultural Shang Ri La!