The new track, Play Dead, is the latest single from the American horror-core outfit, created in collaboration with the hit multiplayer horror game Dead By Daylight as part of its 10th anniversary celebrations.
The release sees the band fully step into the world of horror gaming, working alongside longtime Dead By Daylight composer Michel F. April, with the track arriving alongside an in-game ICE NINE KILLS collection, allowing players to represent the band within the game.
Speaking about the new single, frontman Spencer Charnas shares, “ICE NINE KILLS has always lived somewhere between menace and mischief. Play Dead, our take on Dead by Daylight, is a collision of hooks, horror, and total chaos. As lifelong horror fans, we find it surreal and an absolute honour to have ICE NINE KILLS’ music officially tied to Terrifier, Scream, Ready or Not, and now, the iconic survival horror game Dead by Daylight.
Collaborating with Dead by Daylight gave us the chance to step into a world that feels deeply aligned with our creative instincts. The game has an incredible legacy, and that chaotic, eerie, immersive energy is something we respect and admire. We wanted the song to feel like a real extension of that universe, not just inspired by it, but genuinely part of it.
We worked closely with longtime composer Michel F. April to ensure every detail, from the atmosphere to the intensity, felt true to the game, and we spent time on set with Dead by Daylight creatives Mathieu Cote and Eric Pope, as well as player experts like SpookyLoopz.
The video also features iconic genre star Devon Sawa. He’s one of my favorite actors, from Idle Hands and Final Destination to literally playing Stan in the EMINEM video. And we’ve got Krsy Fox, one of the new modern horror scream queens, who not only had a showstopping performance in Terrifier 3, but is a kickass indie horror film producer, too.
Having Tony Hawk appear with us felt essential because he isn’t just the Michael Jordan of skateboarding. He’s synonymous with the marriage of music, gaming, and subculture. We bonded over the same offbeat pop-culture touchstones, from punk rock to the irreverent ’80s comedies like The Naked Gun that shaped my brain just as much as horror did. And of course, Dingbar Tarbani slithered in to make things even stranger.”
Watch the official music video for Play Dead here:
The track continues a prolific run for ICE NINE KILLS, following their recent #1 Active Rock radio hit Twisting The Knife (feat. Mckenna Grace), and further cements their position at the forefront of horror-inspired music collaborations, spanning film, television, and now gaming.
For more information on ICE NINE KILLS like their official page on Facebook.
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