Album Review: Ice Nine Kills - 'The Predator Becomes The Prey'

If you know what it's like to be hungry and choose the high GI Snickers bar over the banana, then you know what its like to listen to Ice Nine Kills. Sure, If you haven’t got any issues with the kind of music that satisfies a quick fix, yet has absolutely no staying power to speak of, you can listen to The Predator Becomes The Prey with a clean conscience. It’s not quite that The Predator Becomes The Prey is valueless, because it is in fact a lot of self-indulgent fun, in the way that candy crush is entertaining when you’re looking for something to do that requires not getting out of bed. It’s only that, put simply, The Predator Becomes The Prey is nothing to leave the house for.

Executed in an overly melodramatic sense of importance, ‘The Power In Belief’ serves the chugging base line, unnecessary electric guitars solos and crushing breakdowns well, but leaves much to be desired. ‘Let’s Bury The Hatchet… In Your Head’ is about as indulgent as its title suggests, delivering more of the same predictable pop metal hooks and oddly erratic guitar riffs that are probably meant to be experimental, but are instead entirely redundant. What’s more, the clean vocals that remain the strength of Ice Nine Kills are quickly smothered on this record by the incessant, whiny screams of the heavy vocals.

It makes sense that a metalcore band in the habit of being dark and theatrical might opt for song titles like ‘The Fastest Way To A Girl’s Heart Is Through Her Ribcage’ and cheesy, bordering on vampire-rock lyrics like ‘we are the walking dead’ and ‘you’d be just as sexy bleeding.’ What Lies Beneath’ holds the attention of a sincerely addictive riff for a brief moment before loosing it to a sea of irritating screeches and just bearable instrumentals.

However, consistently indulging in the overly dramatic and the predictable, just for the sake of it doesn’t quite justify the cringe-worthy song writing in The Predator Becomes The Prey. Catchy hooks and soaring choruses aside, the subject matter is just ridiculous, and tracks like ‘Count the Cuts’ are aggressive without really being angry and heavy without being rough or loud.

If it’s possible, it’s the final track that saves this record from being completely written off. On ‘My Life In Two,’ the song writing boasts a truly redeeming message, and a sense of spirit to boot. The lyrics, ‘I only promise I’m not giving up today’ are delivered in screams are tougher and clearer than before, and the chorus is actually bearable.

Fans of that instantly accessible, totally dramatic and undeniably done to death kind of metalcore will call this record a break through for Ice Nine Kills, who have copped nothing but the shorter end of the metalcore stick since day one. Truth be told, however, if we’re being realistic, it's nothing to get excited about.

The Power In Belief

The Coffin Is Moving

The Fastest Way To A Girl's Heart Is Through Her Ribcage

The Product Of Hate

Connect The Cuts

Jonathan

What I Never Learned In Study Hall (ft. Tyler Carter)

So Long Steven Long

What Lies Beneath

My Life In Two