The explosive new single from the horror metal titans is bound to delight fans with three tracks bursting at the seams with clever tributes to iconic movie characters and franchises.
Originally formed in 2000 in Boston, Massachusetts as a ska-punk outfit, Ice Nine Kills enjoyed a successful run of album releases until their 2018 breakout album The Silver Scream, by which time the band had adopted a melodic metal sound and had become known for their colourful tributes to horror movies within their songs.
Amidst a groundbreaking international tour, Ice Nine Kills now releases the single The Laugh Track featuring their three most recent songs: ‘The Laugh Track’, ‘The Great Unknown’ and ‘A Work of Art’; each serving as a homage to a renowned movie series.
The first song is ‘The Laugh Track’, inspired specifically by Tim Burton’s 1989 Batman and Jack Nicholson’s zany interpretation of The Joker, is a rip-roaring melodic metal track whose ferocious verses and rebellious chorus highlight a larger than life version of the legendary character through singer/frontman Spencer Charnas’ gleeful giggles and brutal screams. Beginning with the singer’s mellifluous, clean vocals over an upbeat acoustic guitar melody, listeners are immediately blindsided by the track’s vicious bridge led by Charnas’ gritty screams and backed by the cries of guitarist Ricky Armellino and bassist Joe Occhiuti, both of whom are talented unclean vocalists. The chorus itself is a riotous affair backed by jubilant trumpets and gnashing guitars and bolstered by Charnas’ powerfully frenetic vocals. The lyrics are characteristically tongue-in-cheek and invite listeners to let loose with a boost of rebellious energy (“So join the parade, turn that frown upside down”).
Notably, the band make stellar use of the dynamic between screamed and sung vocals from verse to chorus throughout the track, ensuring that the song carries as much maniacal vitality as it possibly can. The song’s fierce breakdown ensures that audiences are held in thrall all the way through its runtime by sprinkling in references to the original source material that fans of the movie are sure to love. Audiences can hear a tinkle of The Joker’s Theme from Batman: The Animated Series just after the second chorus, as well as Charnas’ enthusiastic delivery of one of Nicholson’s Joker’s most quotable lines (“Will you dance with the devil in the pale moonlight?”).
The second track, ‘The Great Unknown’ takes a leaf out of a different book, taking inspiration from the Matrix series in all its futuristic glory. Similarly to the first track, ‘The Great Unknown’ captures listeners with vivid lyrical references to the movies; this time to a backdrop of glitchy metal groove. Beginning with an understated vocal performance which is carried through to the bridge over a swelling guitar-led instrumental, the song’s chorus explodes in a triumphant catharsis of anthemic guitars, punchy drum patterns and Charnas’ emotionally majestic vocals. The lyrics express a desire to be immersed in another world of adventure, rather than dwelling in an otherwise predictable one-note existence (“The great unknown’s a stepping stone, we can’t keep living like we’re not alive”); bolstered by the passionate might of the band’s polished production.
Again the breakdown is sure to be a standout moment for many listeners, with Charnas’ epic delivery of “I fulfil the prophecy”, boosted by the high-octane energy of shuddering guitars and fist-pounding percussion. The transition from this sonic carnage to the track’s final chorus is immaculate, making the song’s climax hit that much harder and ensuring that fans consider this track a singalong staple in the band’s discography for years to come.
‘A Work of Art’ featuring Shavo Odajian from System of a Down on bass, is everything you’d want from a song dedicated to outrageous slasher Art the Clown from the gory Terrifier franchise. Guided by the song’s extremely memorable chorus refrains “The art of dying brings me to life” and “Tongue tied and you’re terrified”, the tracks erupts into the verse’s fast-paced, start-stop tempo as frantic drums set the scene for an aggressive guitar and bass accompaniment by Armellino, Occhiuti, Dan Sugarman, Miles Baker and of course Odajian.
The character of Art the Clown is humorously portrayed within the track through the inclusion of horns and the group’s rapid switching between the jovially sung chorus and Charnas’ sudden spiral into guttural shrieks and growls, representing how the character’s playful personality soon turns malicious and violent. Any fans of the Terrifier series are bound to have the time of their lives jamming out to this song; the band undeniably delivers one of their most unhinged tracks to date.
Score/Outstanding: This is one of metal’s current top acts performing some of their most brash and impressive work so far; delivering hard-hitting tracks that evidence the confidence and vision the band have notably come to realise, particularly within the last three years. It’s outlandish, and it’s a lot of fun.
[We rank singles, EPs, and albums on a scale of Poor, Mediocre, Good, Excellent, and Outstanding]
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