ICE NINE KILLS frontman Spencer Charnas is featured in the first episode of Fire With Fire, a new video series where Ryan J. Downey sits down with artists in the heavy music space for wide-ranging, in-depth conversations, where the importance of freedom of expression is the anchor. Created by Downey, the series is made in partnership with the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression and directed by Gus Black.
Asked what kind of advice he would give to people who feel like maybe they can’t express who they are, they can’t get the things out of themselves that they need to let out, Spencer said: “I’ve been doing this for โ God โ since 2000, really. So, 25 years. And I think what I’ve learned over that course of time, and when the band started to really kind of take that turn of becoming the successful entity where, ‘Hey, this can be my job and I can make a living from it,’ was when I stopped worrying about what was trendy.
“I think back in the day when the band started, we were too concerned about, ‘This kind of label is hot right now, so we should sound more like ‘Band X’, or, ‘Is this breakdown heavy enough? Because this band is exploding,'” he admitted. “And I think as soon as we stopped worrying about what everyone else was doing and just did what I love and what’s authentic to me, which is the punk inspiration, the metal inspiration, Broadway influences from shows like ‘The Phantom [Of The Opera]’ and ‘Les Mis[รฉrables]’, and then incorporating, bringing in my other love, which was horror and kind of making sort of a melting pot of all those things, and again, just not really caring about what was popular at the time, that’s when we started to see success. And that, combined with believing in yourself and having a do-it-yourself kind of mentality, not waiting around for the phone to call from a record label and just going out there and doing it and hustling and not being afraid to put in the work.
“Before we played concerts and tours like the Warped Tour, we were out there breaking into the tour with fake-made laminates and selling CDs to anyone who had a shirt of a band that we thought was comparable to us.
“So, yeah, you’ve gotta believe in yourself and be ready for a lot of rejection,” he added. “But I always go back to when you’re discouraged about whatever business you’re in, you think about that when METALLICA started, no label would wanna sign them because they were too metal for the punk kids. And I think the first label that signed them was Megaforce, which was a very small label. And we all saw what happened with METALLICA. And then you think about [American film director, screenwriter and producer] Wes Craven. When he was sort of down and out, he had this idea for this film where a killer kills people in their dreams [the ‘A Nightmare On Elm Street’ franchise]. And he brought it to every major studio โ Paramount, Universal, all the big dogs โ and they all told Wes, ‘It’s an interesting script, but no one’s interested in movies about dreams.’ So this very small company at the time called New Line Cinema took a chance on Wes, and I think we all saw what happened there.”
Spencer also discussed YouTube‘s censorship policy as it relates to horror-related content, especially as some of ICE NINE KILLS‘ music videos are homages to movies like “The Crow” and “Pet Cemetary”. He said: “The censorship thing, especially with YouTube, is a big bummer, because if you do anything that’s somewhat subversive or extremely violent, you get censored.
“The video like we did for ‘A Work Of Art’ and ‘Terrifier’, which is, in my opinion, now one of the greatest slasher franchises of all time, and we were so lucky to be able to be involved in it, to make the official video, it gets extremely restricted. So it kind of takes it out of being in the algorithms. It doesn’t show up on certain searches. If you’re trying to search for that particular video, you have to prove you’re 18. So YouTube has sort of become the new MPAA [Motion Picture Association of America, which also runs the film rating system according to the Motion Picture Association].”
Asked if YouTube has offered a list of specific content which isn’t allowed to be shown on the platform, Spencer said: “I think it’s still a little bit that sort of vague thing. Certainly killing an infant, I believe, is in the bylaws. But we’ve done certain things like showing everything except those parts where you put a censored bar over. But, yeah, it’s really difficult to be able to express what we want and not have it restricted. But with ‘Terrifier’, this is one of the glorious films of all time. I mean, to the point where when I was at the premiere, Tom Savini was sitting next to me, who’s a special effects guru. He was considered and called for many years the ‘sultan of splatter’, he said, ‘‘Terrifier’ makes my ‘Dawn Of The Dead’ look like ‘Bambi’.’ So, with that particular video, we just had to let it all hang out. We wouldn’t care if we’re restricted. The video still has gotten millions of views, but obviously would be a lot more if it wasn’t restricted. But, yeah, that was one of the most fun, entertaining videos I’ve ever had the pleasure of making. And having Chris Nelson, one of the greatest special effects makeup guys of our day, do the effects โthis is the guy that did the ‘Kill Bill’ movies.”
Ryan J. Downey is a longtime journalist whose credits include work with Billboard, The Hollywood Reporter and Marvel. He has written books, graphic novels, and liner notes for BLACK VEIL BRIDES, FALLING IN REVERSE, ICE NINE KILLS, ALICE IN CHAINS, PANTERA, TYPE O NEGATIVE, and more. He is the host of the MI Conversation Series at Hollywood’s Musicians Institute, a former MTV News reporter, and served as senior editor for Alternative Press.
The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression is a nonpartisan and nonprofit organization whose mission is to defend and sustain individual rights to free speech, expression, and thought through a unique mix of public education campaigns, individual case advocacy, and policy reform efforts.
Charnas is the creative architect and front man of ICE NINE KILLS and one of modern metal’s most visionary and recognizable figures. A lifelong horror obsessive and pop culture alchemist, Charnas has transformed ICE NINE KILLS into a multi-dimensional empire where music, cinema, and theatrical storytelling collide.
Under his leadership, the band’s horror-themed concept albums “The Silver Scream” and “The Silver Scream 2: Welcome To Horrorwood” redefined the genre, earning Top 20 Billboard chart placements, global streaming success, and cult-like fan devotion. As a songwriter, performer, and strategist, Charnas has elevated ICE NINE KILLS beyond the stage, launching the Silver Scream Convention, immersive fan clubs, graphic novels, and now the Pretty Evil cosmetics line.
Known for collaborations with horror icons like Ari Lehman and Tony Todd, and for bringing theatricality back to live performance, Charnas has become a mainstay in both the metal and horror communities. Whether fronting the band on tour with METALLICA or creating blood-soaked beauty campaigns, he continues to push the boundaries of what a modern frontman can be.
Photo credit: Gus Black
