Ice Nine Kills and In This Moment have teamed up once again for a tour, dubbed the ‘Kiss Of Death Tour Part 2.’ They made a stop at the beautiful Vibrant Music Hall in Waukee, Iowa, with support from Avatar and TX2.
Due to travel, I missed TX2’s performance, but I hope to catch them at another show. I did manage to see Avatar, who I believe are one of the best live bands out there. A man in a black mask carried a box to the stairs leading up to the drums. After removing the lid, a red balloon popped out, followed by vocalist Johannes Eckerstrom. The court jester took his spot center stage, and when drummer John Alfredsson hit the first beat, the balloon popped, and the onslaught began as the band launched into “Dance Devil Dance.” Guitarists Johas Jarisby and Tim Ohrstrom, along with bassist Henrik Sandelin, spun their hair in unison while laying down a wall of sound. Avatar, riding the waves of their 2023 release ‘Dance Devil Dance,’ played “The Dirt I’m Buried In” and “Valley of Disease,” along with the title track from the newest release. This band packs such a punch both sonically and visually that you can’t take your eyes off the stage. They have the perfect frontman who played to the crowd perfectly. He has infectious personality but also commands attention his incredible voice and catalog of songs they have to play is a deep one. The only downside was the set was too short. Despite the limited time, they captivated the crowd with “Smells Like a Freakshow” and the closer “Hail the Apocalypse.” It was a short but fantastic set in front of a crowd that included many first-time viewers.
Unfortunately there are no pictures in the gallery as In This Moment does not allow photographers to cover their show. They took to an extremely smoke-filled stage with vocalist Maria Brink perched high on her altar, where she spent much of the show. They opened with “The Purge” and then moved into “The In-Between.” The show was highly choreographed, with Brink changing costumes throughout the set and usually flanked by two dancers. The visual imagery was central to the performance, but the sound was also impressive. However, the heavy smoke made it difficult to see Brink and the band members at times, leaving the crowd to view their shadows through the smoke. Highlights for me included “Blood” and “Big Bad Wolf,” where the energy on stage really picked up and flowed into the crowd. The set ended with “Whore.” I would love to see them reach further back in their catalog and pull out some of those gems as there are so many that have not been played live in years. I understand that the material they are playing fits in perfectly with the theatrical theme and it does work beautfully. With Brink so far away for most of the set , it doesn’t allow for much interaction with the crowd but despite this, the many In This Moment fans in the crowd made their presence known throughout the set.
Ice Nine Kills closed the night, and having seen them before, I knew we were in for a horror show masquerading as a musical killing spree. They opened with the blistering “Rainy Day,” and the show was off. Vocalist Spencer Charnas led the band’s horror-themed set, inviting the crowd into their world. “Meat & Greet” was next, with Hannibal Lector wheeled onto the stage. By the end of the song, Lector had escaped, lost the mask, and killed the security guard. Welcome to an Ice Nine Kills show. Charnas constantly changed props throughout the night, with each song having its own story and executions of characters on stage. Amidst the madness, the band sounded musically tight. Guitarists Ricky Armellino and Miles Dimitri Baker shredded when needed, while bassist Joe Occhiuti and drummer Patrick Galante provided the backbone to the sound. The band’s vocal performance stood out, with Charnas sounding fantastic and the other members contributing vocally, added extra layers to the songs. The band ripped through numbers including their new single “Walking On Sunshine,” “The American Nightmare,” “IT is the End,” and closed with “Welcome to Horrorwood.” I always enjoy the chaos this band creates on stage and appreciate how they play the material and engage the crowd. They are a band not to be missed when they come to your town.
