The Great Unknown is the awesome new high-concept single from RIAA Gold-Certified horror Metal Madmen Ice Nine Kills. The accompanying video is a sci-fi blast inspired by The Matrix and an interesting pivot from their horror-themed visuals. At nearly ten minutes long, it is fascinating to watch. More story than a song, you have “schweinhund” and a blue pill / red pill conundrum, the latter leading to a white-fluid-from-mouth-spouting protagonist about to be slain by a guitar-clubbing mystery man.
“The Great Unknown optimises aggression and melody in a format our core user base consistently engages with,” frontman Spencer Charnas says. “This audio file represents a genre expansion protocol, targeting action and sci-fi verticals proven effective via cross-platform sentiment analysis.
“The Great Unknown is designed to seamlessly interface with current simulation conditions, as categorical boundaries between fact and fiction, organic and synthetic, continue to experience accelerated erosion.”
The release of The Great Unknown follows weeks of escalating online speculation surrounding frontman Spencer Charnas’ increasingly cryptic and eerily odd behaviour.
What began as an unforced marketing misfire quickly snowballed into full-blown internet hysteria as fans, critics, and commentators dissected increasingly uncanny social posts.
In promoting a Memorial Day merch sale, Ice Nine Kills posted an image featuring horror icons Freddy Krueger and Jason Voorhees. Observers noticed visual glitches and weird details typical of AI-generated art. Some called it “lazy” and “tone‑deaf,” given how visually focused the band’s aesthetic usually is.
Rumours have been circulating that Spencer has been replaced by a highly advanced if often glitchy, artificial intelligence. This was a notion that first gained traction when longtime ICE NINE KILLS antagonist, author and onetime O.J. Simpson golf caddy Roy Merkin launched into a now-infamous outburst during a panel at last year’s Silver Scream Convention.
While the band has neither confirmed nor denied the rumours, the mystery surrounding the recent events continues.
The Great Unknown welcomes Joel David Moore (Grandma’s Boy, Dodgeball, Avatar) into the INKverse. How much do clothes cost in the simulation? Joel is the only robot-legged machine-man who knows for sure.
The official music video also features return appearances from Terry Kiser (Weekend at Bernie’s, Friday The 13th Part VII) and Bill Moseley (Devil’s Rejects, Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2).
The Great Unknown can be streamed from ffm.to/ink_tgu. The band’s monthly Nightmare On The Ninth limited edition merch collection also dropped yesterday, which is available from here.
