If there’s one thing Ice Nine Kills know how to do better than anyone else, it’s turning cinematic chaos into pure heavy-metal theatre. Their latest single, “The Laugh Track,” is no exception—this time, frontman Spencer Charnas and his horror-obsessed crew are paying twisted tribute to Tim Burton’s Batman (1989) and, more specifically, Jack Nicholson’s legendary take on the Joker.
The song is everything you’d expect from the INKverse: dramatic, darkly funny, and dripping in gothic flair. “Why be a brooding bat when you can have the last laugh?” Charnas grins, perfectly capturing the band’s signature mix of menace and mischief. It’s loud, it’s unhinged, and it feels like a love letter to Burton’s gloriously eerie Gotham—one where the line between villain and hero is as thin as a razor’s edge.
The cinematic music video takes the madness even further, with Scream and Five Nights at Freddy’s star Matthew Lillard joining the Ice Nine Kills universe alongside Terry Kiser (Weekend at Bernie’s) and Phil Morris (Seinfeld, Smallville). Lillard made his INK debut after crashing the band’s panel at Silver Scream Con earlier this year, and now he’s front and centre in their most chaotic video yet. The result? A gloriously twisted slice of horror-meets-comic-book spectacle that could only come from the mind of Spencer Charnas.
And because nothing Ice Nine Kills do is ever just about the music, “The Laugh Track” arrives hand-in-hand with a new venture—Horrorwood Reserve, a blood-red bourbon collaboration between Charnas and Lillard’s Macabre Spirits. Think aged oak, Bloody Butcher corn, and just enough spice to make you feel like you’re sipping on a slasher flick. The limited-edition bottles come in two collectible sets, complete with glass toppers, cocktail cards, and killer artwork by Michael Cortada. Head to HorrorwoodReserve.com for more information!
It’s all part of Ice Nine Kills’ ever-expanding empire—a world where horror, metal, and movie magic collide. From touring with Metallica to hosting their own horror convention (which is going international with Silver Scream London this December), the band has built something far bigger than a music career. It’s a full-blown universe for fans who live and breathe the macabre.
“The Laugh Track” follows the success of “The Great Unknown” (inspired by The Matrix) and “A Work of Art” (from the record-breaking Terrifier 3), proving that Ice Nine Kills aren’t slowing down anytime soon. With every release, they blur the lines between horror and metal a little more—and this latest chapter might just be their most devilishly fun yet.
If you’ve ever wanted to “dance with the devil in the pale moonlight,” now’s your chance.
