Ice Nine Kills
Encyclopedia
Ice Nine Kills is an American metalcore
band from Boston
, Massachusetts
. Formed in 2002 by Spencer Charnas and Jeremy Schwartz, the group originally pursued a style combining emo
, post-hardcore
and ska
into their own innovative blend of rock but have since shifted into more of an experimental metalcore hybrid. Charnas is currently the only remaining founding member.
To date, Ice Nine Kills have released two full-length studio albums; Last Chance to Make Amends and Safe Is Just a Shadow and two EPs; The Burning and 2 Song Acoustic. Their band name is derived from the fictional substance ice-nine
from the science fiction novel Cat's Cradle
by Kurt Vonnegut
.
The following year on November 20, 2007, Ice Nine Kills released their EP, The Burning through Red Blue Records. The band then set out on several national tours in support of the EP including opening slots on tours with I See Stars
and Eyes Set To Kill
among others. In the same year, Ice Nine Kills' song, "We Ate Gilbert's Grapes" appeared in the opening and closing credits of the Lionsgate skateboard comedy Dishdogz
starring Luke Perry
, Haylie Duff
, and Ryan Sheckler
and by 2008, the group had been invited to open for well-known acts such as As I Lay Dying
, A Day To Remember
, Thursday
, Paramore
, and a one off performance at Taste of Chaos 2009
. That same year, Ice Nine Kills released 2 acoustic tracks ("The Simple Act of Giving Up" and "Lifetime in a Week") on an EP titled 2 Song Acoustic.
In mid 2009, Schwartz decided to leave the band after struggling with life on the road. This left Charnas as the only original member. Charnas then recruited former members of the Rochester NY based post-hardcore
band Remember Tomorrow which had recently disbanded. This shifted Ice Nine Kills' sound into more of an experimental metalcore sound to which Ferret Music
took notice and signed the band in the spring of 2009. After their appearance on Warped Tour 2009
the band began writing and recording what would be their next record. Ice Nine Kills released their second full-length album Safe Is Just a Shadow on July 12, 2010. The album was produced by a three-man team including James Paul Wisner, Steve Sopchack, and Tom Denney. The album received praise from heavy metal magazine, Revolver
in the 2010 Hottest Chicks in Rock Issue and subsequently the band was invited to attend the Revolver Golden Gods awards in Los Angeles CA on Apirl 20, 2010. The band supported Safe Is Just a Shadow with a two week appearance on Warped Tour 2010
, and a supporting slot with Michigan based nu metal
band Taproot
. The band performed on a headlining tour in the summer of 2011 as well as a performance at the Darien Lake NY stop of Warped Tour 2011
on the Dzambo Stage. The band released a music video inspired by the film Inglorious Basterds for their song "The People Under the Stairs" on June 20, 2011. That same day the band announced their partnership with Outerloop Management who represent We Came as Romans
and The Word Alive
, among others.
Former members
EPs
Demos
Metalcore
Metalcore is a subgenre of heavy metal combining various elements of extreme metal and hardcore punk. The name is a portmanteau of the names of the two genres. The term took on its current meaning in the mid-1990s, describing bands such as Earth Crisis, Deadguy and Integrity...
band from Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
. Formed in 2002 by Spencer Charnas and Jeremy Schwartz, the group originally pursued a style combining emo
Emo
Emo is a style of rock music and its associated subcultureEmo may also refer to:- Businesses :* Emo , an Irish oil company and filling station chain* Emo Speedway, a racetrack in Emo, Ontario...
, post-hardcore
Post-hardcore
Post-hardcore is a genre of music that developed from hardcore punk, itself an offshoot of the broader punk rock movement. Like post-punk, post-hardcore is a term for a broad constellation of groups...
and ska
Ska
Ska |Jamaican]] ) is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s, and was the precursor to rocksteady and reggae. Ska combined elements of Caribbean mento and calypso with American jazz and rhythm and blues...
into their own innovative blend of rock but have since shifted into more of an experimental metalcore hybrid. Charnas is currently the only remaining founding member.
To date, Ice Nine Kills have released two full-length studio albums; Last Chance to Make Amends and Safe Is Just a Shadow and two EPs; The Burning and 2 Song Acoustic. Their band name is derived from the fictional substance ice-nine
Ice-nine
Ice-nine is a fictional material appearing in Kurt Vonnegut's novel Cat's Cradle. It is supposed to be a more stable polymorph of water than common ice which instead of melting at 0 degrees Celsius , melts at 45.8 °C...
from the science fiction novel Cat's Cradle
Cat's Cradle
Cat's Cradle is the fourth novel by American writer Kurt Vonnegut, first published in 1963. It explores issues of science, technology, and religion, satirizing the arms race and many other targets along the way...
by Kurt Vonnegut
Kurt Vonnegut
Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. was a 20th century American writer. His works such as Cat's Cradle , Slaughterhouse-Five and Breakfast of Champions blend satire, gallows humor and science fiction. He was known for his humanist beliefs and was honorary president of the American Humanist Association.-Early...
.
History
Ice Nine Kills was founded in 2002 under the name Ice Nine but changed their name to Ice Nine Kills just before releasing their debut independent album Last Chance to Make Amends on April 20, 2006.The following year on November 20, 2007, Ice Nine Kills released their EP, The Burning through Red Blue Records. The band then set out on several national tours in support of the EP including opening slots on tours with I See Stars
I See Stars
I See Stars is a post-hardcore band formed in 2006 from Warren, Michigan. They have released two full length albums. Their debut album, 3-D, featured a guest appearance from Bizzy Bone of Bone Thugs-n-Harmony. The album peaked at #176 on the Billboard 200...
and Eyes Set To Kill
Eyes Set to Kill
Eyes Set to Kill is an American metalcore band from Tempe, Arizona. Sisters Alexia and Anissa Rodriguez, along with former vocalist Lindsey Vogt started the band in 2003. Lindsey Vogt departed the band in mid-2007 due to issues with management...
among others. In the same year, Ice Nine Kills' song, "We Ate Gilbert's Grapes" appeared in the opening and closing credits of the Lionsgate skateboard comedy Dishdogz
Dishdogz
Dishdogz is a 2005 English language movie starring Luke Perry and Haylie Duff and directed by Mikey Hilb. The film received a PG-13 rating by the MPAA.-Plot summary:...
starring Luke Perry
Luke Perry
Luke Perry is an American actor. Perry starred as Dylan McKay on the TV series Beverly Hills, 90210, a role he played from 1990–95, and then from 1998–2000. Much publicity was garnered over the fact that even though he was playing a sixteen-year-old when 90210 began, Perry was actually in his...
, Haylie Duff
Haylie Duff
Haylie Katherine Duff is an American actress and singer-songwriter. She is the older sister of actress and singer Hilary Duff...
, and Ryan Sheckler
Ryan Sheckler
Ryan Allen Sheckler is an American professional skateboarder and was the star of the MTV reality show, Life of Ryan.-Early life:...
and by 2008, the group had been invited to open for well-known acts such as As I Lay Dying
As I Lay Dying (band)
As I Lay Dying is an American metalcore band from San Diego, California. Founded in 2000 by Tim Lambesis and having completed their first Line-up in 2001, the band consists of vocalist Tim Lambesis, drummer Jordan Mancino, lead guitarist Nick Hipa, rhythm guitarist Phil Sgrosso, and bassist Josh...
, A Day To Remember
A Day to Remember
A Day to Remember is an American rock band from Ocala, Florida. Founded in 2003 by guitarist Tom Denny and drummer Bobby Scruggs, the band has released four studio albums, nine singles and eight music videos...
, Thursday
Thursday (band)
Thursday were an American rock band from New Brunswick, New Jersey. Formed in 1997, the group has released six full-length albums, their most recent being No Devolución, which was released in April 2011 on Epitaph Records...
, Paramore
Paramore
Paramore is an American rock band from Franklin, Tennessee, formed in 2004. The band consists of lead vocalist Hayley Williams, bassist Jeremy Davis, and guitarist Taylor York...
, and a one off performance at Taste of Chaos 2009
Taste of Chaos 2009
Taste of Chaos 2009 is the fifth installment of the Taste of Chaos tours created by Warped Tour founder Kevin Lyman. Lyman handpicked each band for the tour and believes they are "all on the brink of breakout success." Bring Me the Horizon, Four Year Strong, and Pierce the Veil will rotate their...
. That same year, Ice Nine Kills released 2 acoustic tracks ("The Simple Act of Giving Up" and "Lifetime in a Week") on an EP titled 2 Song Acoustic.
In mid 2009, Schwartz decided to leave the band after struggling with life on the road. This left Charnas as the only original member. Charnas then recruited former members of the Rochester NY based post-hardcore
Post-hardcore
Post-hardcore is a genre of music that developed from hardcore punk, itself an offshoot of the broader punk rock movement. Like post-punk, post-hardcore is a term for a broad constellation of groups...
band Remember Tomorrow which had recently disbanded. This shifted Ice Nine Kills' sound into more of an experimental metalcore sound to which Ferret Music
Ferret Music
Ferret Music is an independent record label, founded in 1996. The label is owned in part by NORA's vocalist, Carl Severson, and in part by Philadelphian artist manager Paul Conroy, and based in West Windsor Township, New Jersey...
took notice and signed the band in the spring of 2009. After their appearance on Warped Tour 2009
Warped Tour 2009
Warped Tour 2009 was the 15th installment of the annual Summer Warped Tour festival. Vans Shoes was again the tour's primary sponsor. Tour founder/organizer Kevin Lyman announced that this year's tour would feature only one main stage with bands playing 40 minutes each instead of two main stages...
the band began writing and recording what would be their next record. Ice Nine Kills released their second full-length album Safe Is Just a Shadow on July 12, 2010. The album was produced by a three-man team including James Paul Wisner, Steve Sopchack, and Tom Denney. The album received praise from heavy metal magazine, Revolver
Revolver (magazine)
Revolver is a bi-monthly rock and heavy metal magazine published by Future US. Before covering heavy metal, rock & hard rock solely, it was a more mainstream oriented magazine. The magazine is structured in a manner similar to publications such as Spin while covering many avenues within the heavy...
in the 2010 Hottest Chicks in Rock Issue and subsequently the band was invited to attend the Revolver Golden Gods awards in Los Angeles CA on Apirl 20, 2010. The band supported Safe Is Just a Shadow with a two week appearance on Warped Tour 2010
Warped Tour 2010
Warped Tour 2010 is the 16th installment of the annual Summer Warped Tour festival. Vans Shoes was again the tour's primary sponsor. The first bands were announced on December 18. The 43-date tour kicks off on June 25, 2010 in Carson, California and ends August 15, 2010 in Hillsboro, Oregon.On...
, and a supporting slot with Michigan based nu metal
Nu metal
Nu metal is a subgenre of heavy metal. It is a fusion genre which combines elements of heavy metal with other genres, including grunge and hip hop...
band Taproot
Taproot (band)
Taproot is a four-piece rock group from Ann Arbor, Michigan. They are most known for their hit single "Poem" , as well as a number of other singles from 2000 to the present.-Pre-formation:...
. The band performed on a headlining tour in the summer of 2011 as well as a performance at the Darien Lake NY stop of Warped Tour 2011
Warped Tour 2011
Warped Tour 2011 is the 17th annual Summer Warped Tour festival. Vans Shoes is again the tour's primary sponsor. The tour dates were announced on November 22, 2010, with the first official band announcement on December 8...
on the Dzambo Stage. The band released a music video inspired by the film Inglorious Basterds for their song "The People Under the Stairs" on June 20, 2011. That same day the band announced their partnership with Outerloop Management who represent We Came as Romans
We Came as Romans
We Came as Romans is an American rock band from Troy, Michigan. Formed in 2005, the band signed to Equal Vision Records in April 2009 and have released two EPs, Demonstrations and Dreams , and two full-length albums, To Plant a Seed and Understanding What We've Grown to Be...
and The Word Alive
The Word Alive
The Word Alive is an American metalcore band from Phoenix, Arizona, formed in 2008, the band is currently signed to Fearless Records. Their 2009 label debut, Empire reached position 15 on the Top Heatseekers, meeting a great amount of positive acclaim upon its release in 2009...
, among others.
Members
Current members- Spencer Charnas - lead vocals (since 2002)
- Justin "JD" deBlieck - lead guitar, vocals (since 2009)
- Justin Morrow - rhythm guitar (since 2009)
- Conor Sullivan - drums (since 2009)
- Steve Koch - bass (since 2011)
Former members
- Shane Bisnett- bass guitar, vocals (2009–2011)
- Jeremy Schwartz - guitar, vocals (2002–2009)
- Grant Newsted - drums (2003–2008)
- Hobie Boeschenstein - bass guitar (2004–2008)
- Dave Marvuglio - bass guitar (2008–2009)
- Dave Sieling - vocals (2009)
- Joseph Merturi - lead guitar (2008)
- Andrew Justin Smith - vocals (2002–2003)
Discography
Studio albums- Last Chance to Make Amends (2006, self-released)
- Safe Is Just a Shadow (2010, FerretFerret MusicFerret Music is an independent record label, founded in 1996. The label is owned in part by NORA's vocalist, Carl Severson, and in part by Philadelphian artist manager Paul Conroy, and based in West Windsor Township, New Jersey...
, Red Blue)
EPs
- The Burning (2007, Red Blue)
- 2 Song Acoustic (2008, self-released)
Demos
- The Pop-Punk Ska Years (2001–2004, self-released)