Ice Nine Kills, August Burns Red, Veil Of Maya
August 11, 2023
Rebel, Toronto, ON
Canadian Beats Passport
Ice Nine Kills have become one of the most popular metalcore acts in recent times. Their combination of poppy hooks, heavy breakdowns, and horror-themed theatrics have captivated audiences. Ice Nine Kills have embarked on a North American tour. For this leg of shows, they have brought Augst Burns Red, Veil of Maya, and Mike’s Dead. On August 11th, 2023, this amazing show made a stop at the Rebel in Toronto. Unfortunately, due to major traffic, I wasn’t able to see Mike’s Dead perform.
Veil of Maya has changed their sound radically throughout the years. Starting off as a technical deathcore band, they have transitioned into a more accessible metalcore group. With the introduction of their new vocalist, Lukas Magyar came the inclusion of clean vocals. These days, the music of Veil of Maya is more focused on vocal hooks, big choruses, and traditionally structured songs. Admittedly, I wasn’t too keen on this stylistic change but witnessing these songs live really won me over. Every song has its own identity with a memorable chorus and there are plenty of anthems to get the crowd engaged. The setlist comprised entirely of material from the Magyar era of the band. Older fans might be disappointed in this, myself included until I saw what this band has become. Having been a fan for a while, I began to appreciate their growth and development as artists. The last time I saw them play was 2012 and a lot has changed since then, including my tastes and preferences as a listener. In short, this new version of Veil of Maya has surpassed the heights of their previous self and as a live performance, it was a real treat. However, their setlist was plagued by an unflattering sound mix. The vocals were much louder than the instrumentation. This was a shame considering how talented the rest of the band is.
August Burns Red is easily one of my favourite metalcore acts to see live. The stage presence of each band member makes for an excellent show. Their setlist was vaguely similar to their most recent performance in Toronto. It compromised songs spanning their entire career. It was during August Burns Red when the show erupted. The crowd was enthusiastic about their performance and with good reason. The riff-salad nature of their material flows so well in a live setting. The light show was interactive and epic. The sound mix was very flattering and every instrument sat nicely with the vocals. I don’t have much to say other than August Burns Red blows my mind live. Every time they come to town, I’ll always be there and you should be too.
Ice Nine Kills is a spectacle to behold. Metalcore shows aren’t typically this exciting or creative. Seeing an Ice Nine Kills show is way more akin to musical theatre, in the same way, that an Alice Cooper performance is more than a rock concert. Every member of the band was dressed like Patrick Bateman from the film American Psycho. There were props and choreography that mimicked and referenced famous scenes from horror films. Most notably, the scene in American Psycho where Patrick Bateman murders Paul Allen in his apartment. This scene was reenacted while frontman Spencer Charnas performed perfectly. There is genuine love and sincerity to their horror movie homages. These stage antics really elevate Ice Nine Kills to another level that’s above your average metalcore show. It is genuinely inspiring to see such creativity and attention to detail given to a stage show. There was a really creative light show that would make the stage look like a dingy warehouse or even a crime scene dressed in the red and blue of police sirens. As far as a spectator’s experience goes, you can’t get much better. As for the music, Ice Nine Kills is a cut above the rest. They effortlessly blend pop vocals with metalcore instrumentation while having screams and growls for good measure. The real star of this operation is very obviously Spencer Charnas. His vocals are front and centre in the songwriting and his stage presence is top-notch. The other members of the band were in the back, nailing their parts and each instrumentalist provided backing vocals. I admittedly don’t know their recorded material very well but seeing their music live was wickedly entertaining. Their songs have a very strong flow and the setlist blended together seamlessly. The set was comprised of material from their previous three albums, which is what they are most known for. The early era of the band has mostly been dropped since they transitioned into this stage show/theatrical iteration. I highly recommend this concert to all fans of metalcore. I was thoroughly impressed by the sheer scale of their performance and it’s a sight to behold. Metalcore concerts tend to be more straight forward and thus, an Ice Nine Kills show is something special.
This concert was an absolute blast and a killer package. Every band provided nothing but the best of the melodic metalcore sound. Every band has proven to be professionals of their craft and it’s so nice to see this genre flourish. This tour has just begun so I highly recommend you catch one of the shows.