Tag: Ice Nine Kills

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Haulix New Music Recommendations for October 30, 2020

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This week’s new music recommendations offer something for everyone, from the technical prowess of rock icons to the surgical lyricism of a hip-hop legend.

Life will probably never be the same as it was before the COVID pandemic took the world by storm. Mourning the loss of the world we knew is normal, but it’s important to recognize all the good that continues to exist. Each new week brings us music that has the potential to change countless lives, and this week’s batch of new releases is no exception. There are too many good records for us to mention, but here are five from our clients that we believe everyone should experience.

Ice Nine Kills – I Heard They KILL Live (Fearless Records)

After riding a wave of critical and fan acclaim for their horror-themed record, The Silver Scream, Ice Nine Kills close the most important chapter in their history with a live record. I Heard They KILL Live, a reference to a NOFX live album from 1995, was recorded in INK’s hometown of Worcester, MA, during the last nationwide tour. The theatrics that served as hallmarks of the record and tour production translate well to a live recording, as the band brings 19 songs and frenetic energy to a hungry audience that is more than happy to sing every word at the top of their lungs. 

In a year without concerts, I Heard They KILL Live plays like a soothing balm applied to an open wound that won’t heal until live music returns.

Puscifer – Existential Reckoning (Alchemy Recordings / BMG)

Of all Maynard James Keenan’s musical projects, Puscifer is perhaps the most consistently engaging and original. Without taking anything away from Tool or A Perfect Circle, which both thrive on pushing the boundaries of what rock and metal can be, Puscifer is a genre-less beast whose work is more unpredictable than any other group in music today. Existential Reckoning is a mesmerizing exploration of where we come from and what it means to be human. Each track has a unique identity, and they play like individual journeys that combine to create a sonic odyssey that listeners will want to explore over and over again. You cannot fully appreciate everything Puscifer is doing in a single listen, and that’s a good thing. Existential Reckoning is an album you can sink your teeth into, delivering one delicious bite of artistic expression after another until you’re too full to do anything else except surrender yourself to the noise.

Busta Rhymes – Extinction Level Event 2: The Wrath of God (EMPIRE)

Eleven long years have passed since Busta Rhymes dropped Back On My B.S. The world has changed several times over in the last decade, but nobody old or new has been able to fill the void left when Busta stopped releasing records. We can’t say why he stepped away, but if that’s what needed to happen for Extinction Level Event 2: The Wrath of God to come into existence, then it was worth the wait. Across twenty-two tracks adding up to nearly 80-minutes of music, the master of quick-tongued lyricism reminds everyone why he’s among the most outstanding artists ever to touch a microphone. The insights Busta offers on the state of the world, the chaos of being, and the state of hip-hop are what we need right now. 

Mr. Bungle – The Raging Wrath of the Easter Bunny Demo (Ipecac Recordings)

After reforming for a series of concerts at the beginning of 2020, fans everywhere hoped Mike Patton’s band of rock icons and outcasts would have more to offer sooner than later. The group heard their cries and are now delivering The Raging Wrath of the Easter Bunny demo, a raucous batch of material that is sure to incite headbanging and mosh pits in places where such things typically do not occur. It’s a riot of a record, brash and relentless in its pursuit of something to shake you from the stupor of everyday existence. Mr. Bungle was never for everyone, but Wrath will be a welcomed addition to the band’s far too small catalog for those that get it.

I Prevail – Post Traumatic [Live/Deluxe] (Fearless)

It shook the alternative music community to learn I Prevail was nominated for a GRAMMY in the back-half of 2019. That disbelief was not a criticism of the band, who had the respect of their community, but a compliment. The Recording Academy’s recognition of their talent was a reminder that any artist can gain international attention and success if they write passionately about deeply personal topics. Post Traumatic is a celebration of what is possible when hard work, honesty, and determination collide. The bonus tracks will keep fans champing at the bit for more new music, but those songs take a deep backseat to the live material. Each live cut comes from a different performance where the energy was undeniable, and the group’s signature high-quality production harnesses that excitement into an equally satisfying personal listening experience. 

Discover even more new music from Haulix clients by streaming our essential fall playlist on Spotify.

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Inside Music Podcast #49 – Spencer Charnas (Ice Nine Kills)

On this episode of INSIDE MUSIC, host James Shotwell calls Spencer Charnas, vocalist for Ice Nine Kills, to discuss his band’s upcoming Fearless Records debut. Ice Nine Kills have been a band for nearly a decade at this point, but they still have to fight and claw there way to each new level of recognition. James has a feeling the band’s new album may change all of this, and over the course of the show he and Spencer pick apart what may be the most compelling new album of December 2015.

The music you hear in this episode is pulled directly from Ice Nine Kills new album, Every Trick In The Book, which will hit stores through Fearless Records on December 4. You can view a video for the same song at the end of this post.

You may already know this, but ‘Inside Music’ is now available on iTunes! Click here to subscribe.

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MONDAY MOTIVATION: Ice Nine Kills

If you’re anything like me, you probably started the day by recognizing that the start of a new work week had indeed arrived and then immediately began shaking your fists at the sky in anger. Monday is rarely anyone’s favorite day, and from what I have seen firsthand it feels safe to say it’s the one day of the week some people outright hate. I guess to them the arrival of the work week symbolizes the end of their quote/unquote freedom, and as a result they head into the office/factory/restaurant/store with a negative outlook already on their mind. This leads to bad attitudes, which only makes the experience of being at work worse, and for some reason it also seems to make time slow to a crawl. We’re not about that life, and we hope this post can do the same you that the song contained within it did for us.

Before I was ever thought of as a music nerd I was a drama nerd. I was the kid in the back of his middle school math class who was repeatedly caught reading Arthur Miller’s Death Of A Salesman instead of learning long division, and while Math may still be difficult for me at times I have no regrets. Great dramatic writing is only made better with innovative musical accompaniment, and unfortunately there is very little of that to be found in the world of music today. The bands who do offer it however, are often so good you almost understand why aspiring musicians never even attempt to find a similar sound.

I probably couldn’t tell you the first band I discovered that used what I would describe as ‘theatrics’ in their music, but I remember thinking it would spawn a musical revolution. The avant-garde nature of larger than life rock and roll is something that has left me in awe all my life, and it continues to grab my ear even in today’s overcrowded music scene. I wish I had a good reason for this, but it’s simply what I like, and I think if you give it a chance you will grow to love it as well. That is, if you don’t already.

New England has been considered a hub for many alternative sounds over the last century, and thanks to a group called Ice Nine Kills the home of the Patriots and Red Sox is quickly becoming known for a new take on alternative music that has genre fans losing their damn minds. It’s theatric rock like My Chemical Romance or Coheed and Cambria might produce, but its influenced by a wide array of post-2000s punk music that gives the group an undeniable edge that is incredibly hard to deny. It’s as if they have stumbled on a way to meld aggression and dramatics without coming across as simply trying too hard to get attention, even though that is exactly what they will receive when their new album arrives in stores later this week.

Every Trick In The Book is a 10-song collection of material inspired by some of the greatest novels ever written. Each track is based on material found in a different literary classic, and they’re each performed in a theatrical style that is entirely the creation of Ice Nine Kills. It’s part punk and part metal, with just a dash of pop, and damn near overloaded with thick synth/keys to make the accompaniment a little more epic. I fell in love from the moment the first song hit my ears, and I have continued to fall deeper in love with each repeat listen over the last month. The album will not released until December 4, but you can get a taste right now:

A lot of the Monday Motivation posts I have written were born out of a deep connection to the material or artists mentioned, but this entry is a little different. I have no connection to the band, and I don’t think the music necessarily moves me on an emotional level, but something about Every Trick In The Book  keeps me coming back again and again. The fact music like this is not only being made, but produced by a band with very little money or fame, is a reminder to me that the best thing you can do in life is whatever feels best to you. Art should be a reflection of self, and in the case of Ice Nine Kills their art is an unabashed open door into their reality. It’s the kind of honesty I think we should all strive for in life and art, and I hope listening to it will inspire you as much as it has me in recent weeks.

James Shotwell is the Marketing Coordinator for Haulix. He is also a professional entertainment critic, covering both film and music, as well as the co-founder of Antique Records. Feel free to tell him you love or hate the article above by connecting with him on Twitter. Bonus points if you introduce yourself by sharing your favorite Simpsons character.

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