LIVE: ICE NINE KILLS / FROM ASHES TO NEW – April 10, 2019

Venue: Capone’s

City: Johnson City, TN

Date: April 10, 2019

Review and Photographs by: Rachel Craig (https://www.rachelcraigphotos.net/)

Ice Nine Kills and From Ashes to New have teamed up to unite some of the biggest names in rock on their latest co-headlining tour, which stopped at my favorite venue in Johnson City, TN. Capone’s was sold out, and packed tightly with the bands’ biggest fans hoping to experience the show’s blend of metalcore, rock, and rap-metal. HAWK started off the night, featuring Ice Nine Kills guitarist Ricky Armellino on vocals. Armellino is definitely in his element as a frontman, getting the crowd hyped up while playing catchy songs like “Mileage” and delivering impressive vocals. Next was Afterlife, a band that’s getting a lot of airplay on SiriusXM Octane lately with their song “Throat.” Afterlife was the perfect complement to From Ashes to New, with a nu metal sound featuring rap-screaming vocals and heavy riffs. Palisades also gave the crowd a great rock show, along with a big surprise. A couple came on stage after “Let Down” – and one of them popped the big question (she said yes). The band ended their set with perhaps their biggest hit so far “Erase The Pain,” with frontman Lou Miceli, Jr. telling the fans “Keep your chin up and turn this song to 11.”

The heaviest act was definitely Ice Nine Kills. If you’re not familiar with this band, their latest album The Silver Scream features songs inspired by famous horror films like IT, Friday The 13th, Jaws, Saw, and The Crow. They kicked off their 11-song set with “The American Nightmare,” complete with frontman Spencer Charnas in a Freddy Krueger costume and slashing around the stage. The crowd was definitely getting rowdy well into “Merry Axe-mas,” when the band stopped playing when someone got hurt in the moshpit (Charnas joked about at least nine people getting killed at every show – so the set was starting off strong). Luckily, everyone was okay and Ice Nine Kills ran through most of the songs off The Silver Scream, including “SAVAGES,” “The Jig Is Up,” “Rocking The Boat,” and “Stabbing in the Dark.” They also tossed in a few older favorites, “Me, Myself & Hyde” and “Communion of the Cursed” before returning to the stage for an encore performance of “IT Is The End.” The band also featured a new lineup on this tour, with Joe Occhiuti on bass and Dan Sugarman on guitar. The last time I saw Ice Nine Kills was at Vans Warped Tour 2018, and so far I’ve been very impressed with how well they pull off the horror film atmosphere without feeling too much like a gimmick – and without making it too serious.

From Ashes to New definitely switched gears for this show toward a more mainstream sound. Vocalists Matt Brandyberry and Danny Case took over the stage, with their vocal styles perfectly blending to sound just like they do on their latest album, The Future. Hearing these guys live definitely makes me appreciate them more, since their energy on stage is contagious. This band has a powerful, uplifting vibe that became a theme throughout the set, mentioning topics like mental health, suicide, and the effects of social media. Their setlist seemed short compared to Ice Nine Kills, but the band actually performed 12 songs spanning their career, including “Pray For Me,” “Through It All,” “The Future,” “My Name,” and “Breaking Now.” The night ended with a resounding chorus of fans singing along loudly to their latest hit, “Crazy.” Overall, this was a very unique and enjoyable show for rock, rap, and metalcore fans in northeastern Tennessee and it was especially memorable to see these bands on Capone’s intimate stage. If any of these bands are coming near you in the future, I highly recommend grabbing tickets before they’re gone.

Ice Nine Kills setlist: The American Nightmare – SAVAGES – Merry Axe-Mas – The Jig Is Up – Rocking the Boat – A Grave Mistake – Thank God It’s Friday – Stabbing in the Dark – Me, Myself & Hyde – Communion of the Cursed – IT Is The End

From Ashes To New setlist: Pray for Me – My Fight – Land of Make Believe – Through it All – Finally See – Broken – The Future – My Name – Forgotten – Breaking Now – Crazy

ICE NINE KILLS LINKS:

OFFICIAL SITE

FACEBOOK

TWITTER

FROM ASHES TO NEW LINKS:

OFFICIAL SITE

FACEBOOK

TWITTER

Category: Live Reviews, Photo Galleries