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The partnership between Ice Nine Kills and actor Matthew Lillard is one major collaboration involving a whiskey brand and a music video shoot for Lillard. The very unexpected announcement at the band’s Spooky Empire Weekend panel only served to amp up the excitement among horror lovers as well as music fans. Another thing that binds Ice Nine Kills with legends of horror films is another collaboration.
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The buzz was electric as Matthew Lillard, famous for Scream and Scooby-Doo, crashed the Ice Nine Kills panel at Spooky Empire, the convention. With less than a minute’s delay and a rapidly going viral video, the announcement came in classic Lillard style. He stated that the band and he have secretly been working on Horrorwood Reserve, their own whiskey brand, and that Lillard shall be featured in the band’s next music video being released next month.
What was evident throughout the whole announcement was Lillard’s excitement. At one point, he said: “My heart is beating! My nipples are so hard!” which practically sent fans into frenzy. Lillard thereafter rattled off about how excited he was to be working alongside frontman Spencer Charnas on “Find From The New Spirit,” this company which was set to create spirit experiences for horror fandoms.
The comment section exploded with speculation about what horror property the new music video could cover. Another asked: “So are we thinking FNAF or Scooby Doo?” The question stirred massive debate throughout the follower base, with answers spanning from Five Nights at Freddy’s to 13 Ghosts, or even another ‘Scream’ track. The band’s tradition of covering songs based on horror films only made them more anxious as to which franchise they’ll be tackling with Lillard next.
Many of the comments focused on his energy and personality. One person said, “Why does his voice throughout the video sound like his ‘my parents are going to be so mad at me! Why’d you hit me with the phone!!’ Except it has a more positive vibe…’My parents are going to be so proud of me!’” This comment perfectly summarized Lillard’s unique style of delivery cherished ever since his early days.
Different fans offered their take on the horror-IO. Another wrote: “Yo if it ain’t a Scooby Doo song I don’t want it,” referring to a wish for Lillard to return to his most famous role. One simply stated, “I have never been so sure that I will pass away suddenly if the next song is FNAF,” just to describe the level at which everyone was hyped about this announcement.
The collaboration naturally aligns with Ice Nine Kills’ horror tricks, and Lillard’s emergence as a horror icon. The band already have collaborations with …other horror actors, but Lillard’s certainly seems somewhat different considering his recent surge of notoriety from taking the spotlight in the Five Nights at Freddy’s film and constant appearances at conventions.
At least the horror community lauded Lillard’s personality beyond the announcement. A couple of comments read “by far one of the nicest people you will ever meet” and “such a theatre kid I love it,” cementing how Lillard’s actual personality shines through even in limited engagement. That personal connection with fans has kept Lillard’s famous vitality intact amongst generations of horror lovers.
Horrorwood Reserve is yet another merchandising extension for a band famed for their ambitious physical media releases and horrifically awesome merchandise. Just a little ambition spillover-creative collaboration and business venture-and it shows just how big this band is becoming beyond music into horror culture.
The highly anticipated Ice Nine Kills-Eunken Lillard collaboration continues the successful crossover of the horror music and film cultures and now leaves the horror community hungry for information about the theme of the music video and the drop date. The collaboration further cements the band in partnering with iconic horror figures and help Lillard through his popularity carry the music to new audiences in several fan cultures.
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Therefore, it’s plainly evident that the renowned collaboration thrusts Ice Nine Kills on a mass at the intersection of metal music and horror fandom. This collaboration provides yet another chance for Matthew Lillard to merge back into the horror community that has cushioned his career. We guarantee good entertainment, and quality merch will be birthed from this collaboration for fans of horror music and culture, alike.
