[Review] The Silver Scream 2: Welcome to Horrorwood paying respect to horror with riffs and screams
Heavy music has been one of my favourite genres for the past 17 years. My love for metalcore, metal, heavy rock, and alternative metal has waxed and waned over the years. In 2019, I started listening to Ice Nine Kills; I had become a little tired of the genre, but I dived into their horror-themed release, The Silver Scream, I was obsessed. The album hit number one on my Spotify Wrapped of 2019 and it featured their song The American Nightmare in my top 5 songs of 2020. In October of this year, Ice Nine Kills released their follow up to their concept album The Silver Scream, The Silver Scream 2: Welcome to Horrorwood. This is Ice Nine Kills sixth studio album and is most definitely one of my favourite releases from them. The album pays homage to some of the horror movie world’s greats, including Psycho, Child’s Play, American Psycho, My Bloody Valentine, and Hellraiser.
The Ice Nine Kills members are incredibly talented at expressing the different horror movies throughout their lyrics and song writing. Below, I discuss my favourite tracks from the album and highlight what I love about each track. As a heavy music fan, this album is most definitely my favourite release of 2021. There really is something for everyone on the album, from slow songs such as Farewell II Flesh and The Shower Scene through to the upbeat, fast-paced and heavier tracks like Funeral Derangements and The Box.
"Funeral Derangements"
This song is one of the heavier songs on the album and it makes for a solid track amongst the more melodic songs that it sits next to. Based on the original Pet Semetary (1989), the lyrics go into discussing life after death and how sometimes “dead is better” for those involved, signalling as a warning for those who come across the cemetery. Spencer has an incredible vocal range and the deep guttural screams that are used throughout Funeral Derangements show off his abilities, making for a great track.
Favourite lyrics: I'll see you on the other side. But I'd kill to bring you back tonight. Don't give up, don't let go. I'll make this right
"Hip to Be Scared" (featuring Jacoby Shaddix)
This was the debut single released when the album was announced earlier in the year. When INK announced the album, they did not prepare me for it to be another horror movie-themed album. The Silver Scream had been my favourite album of 2020 and I listened non-stop. Hip to Be Scared is incredibly catchy with Hip to Be Scared by Huey Lewis and the News, a very special nod to American Psycho. The breakdown in this song is most definitely my favourite of the album, harkening back to the good old grungy and dirty breakdowns of early metal core. The film clip for Hip to Be Scared is also freaking brilliant!
Favourite lyrics: Casually cleaving without ever grieving. But wait, let me give you my card (that's bone). There is no real me, just a stark entity that cannot be redeemed.
“Ex-Mørtis”
As a major Evil Dead fan, this track blew me away. It’s an incredibly fun track with upbeat guitar riffs that are reminiscent of carnival music and the fun and vibrancy that comes with the Evil Dead franchise. This track is my absolute favourite and I appreciate the nod to the film series. Ex-Mortis is an absolutely chaotic track with guitar work that makes a fun track that puts a massive smile on my face whenever I hear it. It’s one of those tracks that you can’t help but sing along with. Sugarman is a brilliant songwriter and has created something special with Ex-Mortis.
The entire album is absolutely brilliant, and each song compliments the other in its arrangement and placement on the album. Each of the tracks will resonate with horror fans as they listen to discover lyrics and mentions that they know and love from their favourite horror franchises. The best part of any Ice Nine Kills release is the incredible film clips that they curate and develop to give their audience a well-crafted story. Each film clip provides more and more information on the mystery that is Welcome of Horrorwood and the murderous Spencer Charnas. The film clips also include cameos from horror legends like Bill Moseley and Miko Hughes. If Welcome to Horrorwood is anything to go by, the next Ice Nine Kills entry is going to be absolutely killer.
