Ice Nine Kills Welcome to Horrorwood: The Silver Scream 2 (Vinyl 2LP) * * *

In a landscape littered with celebrity fakes and would-be influencers, Ice Nine Kills stand apart. Visionary trailblazers and multimedia raconteurs, INK has steadily built a thrilling new underworld for a growing legion of devoted true believers, with theatrical shows, high-concept videos, and inventive band-to-fan communion. Ice Nine Kills summon the most captivating elements of metal, punk and hard rock and combine it with melody, cinematic obsession, and a literary fascination. Loudwire hails them as "one of the most unique acts in metal right now."

Ice Nine Kills is at the forefront of the natural crosspollination of subcultures. "Heavy music and horror are both escapes from our mundane struggles," frontman Spencer Charnas points out. "Horror gets a bad rap with some people who think it's sick and depraved. But those who love it tend to be the people who get it, who realize you aren't supposed to see Friday the 13th and then go kill a bunch of people at a summer camp. Aggressive music and horror movies are outlets for your demons not a blueprint for your actions. It's an escape from reality. You could be having the worst day in the world, with your job or your significant other, and you can go and put on a great metal record or horror movie and forget about all of your problems."

True to horror franchise tradition, there is always a sequel...Welcome To Horrorwood: The Silver Scream 2 follows in the bloody footsteps of its predecessor, paying tribute to 13 more of the most gruesome tales to ever grace the silver screen. In this latest INK offering, the last album and video series are portrayed as a work of fiction. The new storyline thrusts the band into a brutal "real world" slaying. The only traces of the crime are 14 songs left behind by the suspected killer.