Ice Nine Kills
Special Guests: Skynd + Landsdowne
Venue: 02 Academy, Glasgow.
Date: 6th June 2023.
Review By: Ross Bowie
Ice Nine Kills finally get to embark on their UK tour after delays and postponements, the last of which saw the gig moved from March to June. However, the extra listening time was perfect as their songs grew on me with every listen and every live video that I would see on social media whetted my appetite for the gig even more.
Landsdowne
I wasn’t alone in my anticipation as this gig was upgraded venue’s to the 02 Academy and was again sold out. The first band I caught were Landsdowne. While not being entirely my thing, they were a very serviceable live band. They brought some good energy and did seem to get progressively better with each song, however, that could be the beer flowing through my system talking. I’m sure American crowds eat this stuff up, but the crowds over here seemed rather underwhelmed.
Skynd
Next up was Skynd, who are a band I have been a fan of for a while now and have seen live a few times previously, but never in a venue of this size. Their catalogue of serial killer tales did well to get the horror themes for the night flowing, and their synth-led bangers did well to grab people’s attention. Skynd has become a very reliable live band, as they don’t cater to any specific crowd. They are always themselves regardless of the audience in front of them, and I admire that about the three-piece.
Ice Nine Kills
Ice Nine Kills wastes no time by bursting onto the stage with Funeral Derangements, and the energy in the room soars through the ceiling. Instantly, the band has the entire room in their hands and spends the next hour taking them through horror classics. An Ice Nine Kills concert is as much a theatre show as it is a metal gig. In the space of 60 minutes, you had, Spencer wielding the Necronomicon, A child dressed in a yellow rain jacket with the paper boat and red balloon to match, and a whole host of horror movie staples.
With a lesser band, all of the theatrics could come across as a gimmick, but the band does a great job of making these moments add to the overall experience. Strip all these elements away, and you would still have an incredible metalcore experience. The band is tight and all do their part to sound as close to the records as possible. The set was rightly dominated by the band’s last release Welcome: To Horrorwood with every song having fans scream every word back at them. The hour flies by with the pit growing larger with every passing song and the prop department working overtime getting the masks and knives ready for the next spectacle.
Ice Nine Kills are an exceptional live band that put on the type of performance that anyone could enjoy. I wouldn’t be surprised to see them dominate the festival circuit this summer and come back next time even bigger and pulling more stunts. They have the stage show but more importantly, they have the songs to match, this is a band that show no signs of slowing down. 
(5 / 5)
