Ice Nine Kills have released an expanded cinematic music video for their latest single, “Play Dead,” further celebrating the band’s collaboration with the hit asymmetrical horror game Dead by Daylight.
The horror-themed metalcore outfit first debuted the video during a recent livestream event. The song itself was created in partnership with Dead by Daylight composer Michel F. April, with the collaboration also bringing new Ice Nine Kills-inspired cosmetic items to the game.
Continuing the band’s tradition of star-studded horror-inspired videos, Tony Hawk, Devon Sawa (Final Destination, Idle Hands), and actress/musician Krsy Fox all make featured appearances in the clip.
Frontman Spencer Charnas reflected on the collaboration and the opportunity to become part of the Dead by Daylight universe.
“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 honor 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.”
The new video for “Play Dead” is available now.
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