It was an evening of shock and awe in Saratoga Springs on Tuesday, August 6th, when extreme metal made it’s return to SPAC for the opening night of the “Kiss of Death Part 2” tour. Featuring co-headliners In This Moment and Ice Nine Kills, along with Avatar and TX2, the heaviest bill of the summer was an unrelenting assault of the senses and a spectacle unlike any other. Pummeling the audience with dark themes, blood curdling riffs, demonic costumes and otherworldly images, the show made you feel like you were at the center of a crime scene. Surrounded by thousands of witnesses, only here there was no such thing as survivors’ guilt.
Setting the tone early with a brief set was TX2. Spearheaded by Even Thomas, the emo-leaning punk screamers largely focused on songs about mental health issues and using heavy music to work through them. Genuinely appreciative of the early bird fans who came to hear them, it was the perfect appetizer for what was to come. Next up was the melodic death metal band from Sweden called Avatar. Known for their over-the-top theatrical presentation, frontman Johannes Eckerström emerged on stage by popping out of a “gift” that was unwrapped by a leather-clad gimp! Wearing a top-hat with his face painted in sinister clown makeup like The Crow-era Sting, Eckerström’s charisma and powerful screams commanded your attention from the start.
Joined by dreadlocked guitarists Jonas “Kungen” Jarlsby and Tim Öhrström, Henrik Sandelin (bass), and John Alfredsson (drums), Avatar may not have been a headliner, but they sure played like it. Working their way through songs like “Dance Devil Dance,” “The Eagle Has Landed,” “The Dirt I’m Buried In, and “Smells Like a Freakshow,” if you’ve never seen this band, think Alice Cooper meets Marilyn Manson, but with a futuristic twist. Combining death metal riffs with menacing grooves for dramatic flair, fans of classic shock rock were not disappointed. Urging the crowd to stand up and headbang along to their final song, “Hail the Apocalypse,” Eckerström told them they “came all the way from Sweden to watch you die.”
After a quick intermission that included songs by White Zombie, Deftones and Rage Against the Machine, suddenly the sound of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds “Red Right Hand” signified the horror juggernaut known as Ice Nine Kills was lying in wait. With intro narration by none other than the Crypt Keeper (Tales from the Crypt), the curtain dropped and the metal-core band from Boston came out slashing. Despite the rainy forecast, the audience’s spirits were undampened as INK kicked into high gear with a fitting combo of “Rainy Day” and “Meat & Greet.” With their clothes covered in blood and celebrating pop-culture’s darkest edges, the stage was full of elaborate props, including skulls, chainsaws, zombies, various monster masks and the ever-present knife-wielding hooded figure looming high above all.
Consisting of frontman Spencer Charnas, Ricky Armellino and Dan Sugarman on guitars, Joe Occhiuti on bass and Patrick Galante on drums, each song took on themes and soundbites from different iconic horror films. One of the early highlights was “Ex-Mørtis,” which depicted elements of the Evil Dead franchise. Complete with Spencer clutching his own Necronomicon and wielding a chainsaw, Charnas had no choice but to take down a wayward zombie that ventured on stage in the middle of it.
Later, during “Wurst Vacation,” the body count continued to pile up as Charnas mimicked Eli Roth’s Hostile by throwing on a butcher’s apron before dismembering another victim, pulling the pseudo-intestines out above his head to great applause of the blood-thirsty audience. After killer versions of the American Pycho-inspired “Walking on Sunshine” and “Hip to be Scared,” Ice Nine Kills would bust out “The Nature of the Beast” for the first time since 2019. Following “Funeral Derangements” and a reenactment of IT, INK would bust out another one for the old school fans in attendance, playing “The Greatest Story Ever Told” for the first time since 2017. After the Freddy Krueger inspired “American Nightmare” and a memorable stab at cinemas most famous “Shower Scene” via Alfred Hitchcock, by this point the band had everyone up on their feet and dying for more. With time for just one more song, INK closed their set with the title track to their breakthrough album Welcome to Horrorwood. Creative, fun, and definitely disturbing, it’s no surprise this type of band comes with a warning label. Hell, they’ve been outright banned by Disney for being too evil! Steadily killing the scene with their decadent, devious and fiercely insane live shows, Ice Nine Kills have also launched their own hugely successful horror convention known as the Silver Scream Con.
During the final intermission of the show, music by metal god Maynard James Keenan permeated through the pavilion as songs by Tool and A Perfect Circle piped in over the PA system. Oddly transitioning into Journey’s “Don’t Stop Belivin” as heavy fog began billowing out from behind the stage, a giant spider covered curtain suddenly dropped to reveal In This Moment. Met with hero’s welcome and a massive applause, it was a special performance for band’s charismatic frontwoman and lead vocalist, Maria Brink. An Albany native and the scream queen of modern metal, it was the type of homecoming usually reserved for a king. Growing up about 30 minutes away and now playing the area’s biggest stage, on this night, Brink gracefully conquered all.
Wearing an ornate headdress and taking to her throne atop the SPAC stage, In This Moment was truly a spectacle to behold. Clad in costumes that were both beautiful and frightening, much like their music, the band has a certain aura that’s intoxicating. Opening with “The Purge” and their Grammy nominated single “The In-Between,” the visually stunning theatrical presentation the band is known for was on full display right out of the gate. Under the watch of “mother” figure Maria Brink, the band is far from a one woman show. Also consisting of co-founder Chris Howorth and Randy Weitzel on guitars, Travis Johnson on bass and Kent Diimmelis, ITM sent shivers up your spine with a rendition of 2012’s “Blood” from the album of the same name. Followed up by a pairing of “Sacrifice” and “Sanctify Me,” the evening would spotlight many of the songs from the band’s 2023 Kane Churko produced album Godmode.
Flanked by a pair of masked acolytes and singing from an elaborate alter for most of the show, Brinks’ amazing voice control mesmerized fans. Reaching intense emotional depth, powerful and pretty and with plenty of edge, it’s easy to see why she’s become such a role model for ‘against the grain’ teens and goth-girls everywhere. Frequently changing outfits and telling a story within each song, even if you couldn’t get into the music, you had to appreciate the artistry, creativity and overall effort of everyone on stage. Pushing boundaries with themes of witchcraft and mysticism, it’s no surprise In This Moment’s ritualistic approach has its share of detractors, mostly parents and people over 50. Still, as the band worked their way through signature staples like “Sex Metal Barbie” and the Black Sabbath-inspired “Big Bad Wolf,” over1.3 billion cumulative streams tell you it’s clear there’s still an audience hungry for heavy music. Towering over the Broadview Stage at SPAC, In This Moment sent fans home happy with their biggest song to date, closing the epic homecoming performance with “Whore.” Cathartic and surreal, the level of pageantry and attention to detail made for an unforgettable set of music from one of today’s most influential metal attractions.
A resounding triumph for shock rock and horror metal, the Kiss of Death Part 2 tour in Saratoga Springs was some of the most fun I’ve had all summer. After playing to Buffalo’s Outer Harbor the following night, the electrifying tour heads west for the next month and promises to deliver musical carnage and visual splendor at every stop along the way. Ice Nine Kills third annual horror convention, The Silver Scream Con, is set to take place in Worcester, MA from September 13-15.
In This Moment | August 6, 2024 | SPAC | Saratoga Springs, NY
Setlist: Salvation Intro, The Purge, The In-Between, Blood, Sacrifice, Sanctify Me, Sex Metal Barbie, The Fighter, Big Bad Wolf
Encore: Whore
Ice Nine Kills | August 6, 2024 | SPAC | Saratoga Springs, NY
Setlist: Red Right Hand Intro, Rainy Day, Meat & Greet, Ex-Mortis, Thank God It’s Friday, Walking on Sunshine*, The Nature of the Beast**, Wurst Vacation, Funeral Derangements, IT Is the End, Hip to Be Scared, The Greatest Story Ever Told***, The American Nightmare, The Shower Scene, Welcome to Horrorwood. ,
Avatar | August 6, 2024 | SPAC | Saratoga Springs, NY
Setlist: Beware of the Clown Intro, Dance Devil Dance, The Eagle Has Landed, Valley of Disease, Bloody Angel, The Dirt I’m Buried In, Smells Like a Freakshow, Hail the Apocalypse.
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