Ice Nine Kills and In This Moment Bring the Kiss of Death 2 Tour to Utah
September 2, 2024
Two of metals most theatrical acts teamed up last year on the Kiss of Death Tour. In This Moment and Ice Nine Kills took their dose of theatrical metal across the country selling out venues and igniting a blaze under their fanbases that saw fans demand a second outing of the successful tour which is underway now. Swedish metal act, Avatar, joins them once again along with TX2.
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This past week saw the tour make a stop in Utah at the Great Saltair. Opening the show was a band that seemed both equally loved and hated in TX2. Their set seemed to fit into the tour perfectly along with their message and although I had not heard this band before I I was left wondering why they were so polarizing. Either way it seemed that fans (at least half of them there) enjoyed their set and are looking forward to seeing where this band goes.
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Up next was one of the most entertaining bands I have seen in Avatar. If you haven’t seen the freakshow live, then you need to catch them on one of the remaining dates of this tour. Avatar are one of the most entertaining and welcoming bands out there right now. Their stage presence is undeniable as front man Johannes Eckerstrom parades around the stage hypnotizing the fans and welcoming them into the freakshow family. All bands give speeches about how they are a welcoming place for people who are different, outsiders or just don’t belong but when Eckerstrom gives this speech it feels the most genuine that I have ever heard. It truly makes you want to run away and join their mad circus. The closing number of Avatar’s set “Smells Like a Freakshow” lit a fire under the crowd and was probably the loudest sing along between fans and the bands of the night.
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Up next on the stage is one of the most cinematic bands that you will ever see. Ice Nine Kills set is more than just a concert, it is a visual storytelling experience along with an incredible live soundtrack. If you were to gather up Wes Cravens horror movie brilliance and Danny Elfmans musical talent and mix them together the result would be Spencer Charnas. Track after track takes us through some of the most iconic horror films ever made while paying homage with incredible music set to the films. I know associating this band with Halloween season is overdone but with September just starting and this band seeing out August and welcoming in the fall it seemed like the perfect way to welcome in the season. Tracks like “Hip to Be Scared,” “The American Nightmare,” “The Shower Scene” and “It Is the End” got the crowd really singing and screaming along while horror icons paraded across the stage as the band performed perfectly to give us all nightmares to dream of. Closing out the set was “Welcome to Horrorwood” which remains one of the best songs released by the band in my opinion.
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After an interlude that lasted longer than expected, In This Moment took the stage. Before they went on there was a risk of their set getting canceled as the wind picked up and started blowing the light rig around on the stage. Once the winds died down to an allowable level the band came out on the stage with Maria Brink and put on a killer performance. The band’s performance is very theatrical with stage setups and dancers backing vocalist Maria Brink in her performance. Although shorter in numbers performed than INK’s set the runtime seems to be just about the same, with the visual storytelling that goes into the set. At the end of the set stagehands brought out a giant podium with the word WHORE prominently written across the front as Maria Brink gave what was perhaps the performance of the evening standing at the top of the podium singing.
If you have the chance to see these bands on the lest few dates of the tour, I highly recommend making it. The performances of these bands together are mind-blowingly impressive, and each band leaves their all on the stage as fans get to see a concert that rivals any out there.
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Remaining dates and info for Ice Nine Kills can be found here.
