ICE NINE KILLS Slash Through Kansas City With Cinematic Fury on ‘Silver Scream-A-Thon’ Tour

LIVE REVIEW: ICE NINE KILLS – “SILVER SCREAM-A-THON” TOUR, DAY 2 – WELCOME TO HORRORWOOD

“Ice Nine Kills have transformed theatrical horror into a live experience that rivals any haunted house or slasher flick.”

Kansas City turned into a blood-soaked cinematic slaughterhouse for a second straight night as Ice Nine Kills brought their two-night “Silver Scream-A-Thon” spectacle to the Uptown Theater. While Antihero was only able to attend Night Two, fans who braved the dark on May 7 were treated to an unrelenting barrage of theatrical horrorcore metal as INK performed their 2021 album The Silver Scream 2: Welcome to Horrorwood in its entirety — and then some.

The night opened with Dark Divine, who wasted no time establishing their horror-laced identity with dramatic lighting, corpse paint, and a surprisingly polished blend of post-hardcore and metalcore. Their energy was pure adrenaline, a tightly-wound exorcism of angst that fit seamlessly into the tour’s ghoulish theme.

Next up, TX2, the self-described “emo-rap-core” firecracker, ignited the crowd with chaotic charisma. With a genre-bending sound that fused trap beats, screams, and heavy riffs, TX2 felt like a wildcard — unpredictable but magnetic. His manic stage presence and raw vulnerability added a fresh, visceral flavor to the night’s lineup.

Hail the Sun brought a more progressive flair to the stage, with complex rhythms and soaring vocals led by frontman Donovan Melero. Their dynamic set offered a technical breather without slowing the momentum, showcasing their musicianship while still riding the night’s emotional intensity.

But the night truly belonged to Ice Nine Kills — a band that has transformed theatrical horror into a live experience that rivals any haunted house or slasher flick. From the moment the bloodied red curtain rose and “Welcome to Horrorwood” kicked in, it was clear: this wasn’t just a concert. It was a production.

Spencer Charnas, ever the deranged horror host, stalked the stage in full character, changing costumes and wielding weapons with each song as he led the audience through a twisted tour of horror cinema’s darkest corners. Every track was a set piece: “Assault & Batteries” saw Charnas chasing a Chucky doll with a child-sized baseball bat; “The Shower Scene” played out under a cascade of blood-red strobes, complete with a Psycho-style stabbing silhouette.

Fan favorites like “Hip to Be Scared” and “Rainy Day” brought massive singalongs and choreographed mayhem, but it was “Take Your Pick” — the band’s Cannibal Corpse-inspired bloodbath — that unleashed the evening’s most frenzied pit. INK’s attention to detail in crafting their stage visuals is unmatched in modern metalcore. From flickering vintage TVs to gore-soaked props and actors portraying victims and killers, it was a full-on immersive experience.

The album concluded with the blistering one-two punch of “Ex-Mørtis” and “Farewell II Flesh”, both of which served up enough guitar shred and theatrical murder to satisfy even the most bloodthirsty fans. But it wasn’t over yet.

Returning for a three-song encore, INK dug into their back catalog with “The Nature of the Beast” and “Communion of the Cursed”, before debuting a chilling new track, “A Work of Art”, that suggests even more cinematic nightmares are lurking in their future.

The Silver Scream-A-Thon is more than a tour — it’s a genre-bending horror-metal opera, tailor-made for fans who love their breakdowns as much as their bloodshed. If Night One was a love letter to the origins of The Silver Scream saga, Night Two was its brutal, glammed-up sequel. And like any good slasher franchise, it left the audience screaming for more.