KEN Mode is a noise rock/sludge/hardcore band that was formed September 1999 by Jesse and Shane Matthewson, both whom are brothers and have stayed in the band throughout the entire time it’s been together. There were a few line up changes, bouncing from Darryl Laxdal, Drew Johnson, Jahmeel Russell, and Chad Tremblay, eventually settling with Thérèse Lanz, a well-known musician in the Canadian metal scene, (I know Thérèse most for her vocals in the deathgrind band Exit Strategy) on bass as of 2011.Check out the full review after the jump!
It seems like yesterday KEN Mode came out with their debut album Mongrel, which can be purchased at Relapse Records as well as at their Big Cartel website. I decided to go ahead and listen to each album as I wrote this review to get into the spirit of KEN Mode (like I do all my other reviews of course!). Mongrel is a phenomenal debut album consisting of very mathy riffs and was rather very experimental. Hell, I could of almost mistakened them for Today Is The Day the way this album was sounding. All in all, these boys had made a name for themselves.
After touring with high end acts such as Mastodon, Daughters, Psyopus, and Burnt By The Sun, KEN Mode released their follow up album entitled Reprisal, which can again be found on Relapse and their Big cartel website. This album had a strong noise rock influence but definitely wasn’t as sludgy sounding as Mongrel. There was a bit of industrial influence with some heavy ass bass with scratchy vocals to go over top. I would call this their “catchy” album. Even with all the down-tempo and heavy distortion, it was still a toe tapper. Yes, a noise rock band being a toe tapper. DEAL WITH IT!
With yet another bassist entering the picture, embark on a new quest to make a third album only to be named Mennonite. I’m kind of curious to hear where they got this name because I know they’re from Winnipeg and I know up there is a heavy Mennonite population up here but I’m just really not sure. BUT ANYWAYS, Mennonite proves to their best album yet, combining what they’ve previously thrown into their earlier albums, even including some post-hardcore influences and really showing their aggressive hardcore roots. This album can be yet again found on their Big Cartel website and also on No List Records.
2011 dawns upon us and that means another bassist and another album. This year Venerable was released on Profound Lore Records, which can also be found on their Big Cartel website. Venerable goes above and beyond anything they’ve ever done to this date. Combing wonderful melancholic soundscapes with frantic fast-paced hardcore, KEN Mode really set the bar for this years releases. I would have to appropriately rank it in my top third spot, with my second being Trap Them’s Darker Handcraft and my first being Deafheaven’s Roads To Judah. I’ve been chatting with friends who have been up-to-date with 2011 releases and they’ve been outnumbering me with the Venerable being their #1 release so far this year. Maybe I’m just a fool? Haha.
Venerable doesn’t cut the shit and gets straight to what they know and love with the first song being Book Of Muscle, a three and a half minute song consisting of angry as FUCK hardcore influenced noisy wall of sound that just devastates your ears that wants to make you destroy something beautiful. Obeying The Iron Will… is soon to follow. And like Book Of Muscle, it’s yet another track that just full of pissed off filthy disgusting noise that’ll have your hands balled up into a fucking fist ready to blast anything in your path.
The album takes an immediate turn when Batholith, my favorite track on the album, begins to kick in. It quickly goes straight to the vocals, even MORE pissed off than the last, with the riffs being almost thrashy and resembling the hardcore/sludge band Young And In The Way. It seems track there is some heavy distorted guitars with some kind of fuzz over them. As it ends with some faded out guitars, it transitions into The Irate Jumbuck, a seven and a half minute song song that starts out rather slow and atmospheric. Knowing KEN Mode, you KNOW it’ll lead up to something devastating. Around the one minute mark the heavier guitar riffs kick but still maintain that melodic, atmospheric sound. It eventually gets into some nifty tremelo picking around the three minute mark with some spoken vocals. The next song, A Wicked Pike, is a rather groovy one which makes use of math-like riffs and is rather… how would you say “emotional”?? KEN Mode. Emotional? NEVER! Flight Of The Echo Hawk is to come, which is pretty much a three minute interlude with just some distorted instrumental riffing here and there.
Never was, the next track on this album, starts with some very down-tempoed distortion leading up to light guitar picking. The first time listening to this track I was just like, “HOLY FUCK THIS IS THIS SINISTER!” Only a band like Neurosis would be THIS crazy to have such a dark sounding build up, especially with the minuscule drumming and all. Around 3:20 is when all instruments are ceased and light guitar strumming comes into play. 3:45 is when the whispered vocals come into play. Now, I had to listen to this song a few times (like twice) to understand what Shane was actually saying. With such lyrics as “ignorance“, “your lies“, “you control“, “manipulative“, I’m thinking to myself “Huh. I wonder what this is building up to?” And then it sets in…
“Religion is the cancer”
“Religion is the cancer”
After hearing this, I suddenly connected with this album and KNEW that I already have fallen in love with it. Honestly, they should of put this album at the very end. It would of made for one PHENOMENAL fucking outro.
The next track, The Ugliest Happy You’ve Seen, pretty much describes itself. It’s followed by Terrify The Animals, which is pretty much just a random drum solo track with some distorted riffing here and there. Venerable ends with Mako Shark, another track that is pretty much self explanatory. It’s fucking jagged sounding like a mako shark’s tooth with all the heavy chugs going on. For some reason this song reminds me of Isis‘s song Celestial (The Tower) off Celestial. I was liked how the album ended but I really wish it would have ended with Never Was but it looks like that’s not going to happen! There’s a reason why I’m the one writing this and they’re the ones making the music anyways. 😛
2011 so far has been filled with many different releases, with a majority of them being excellent and all contenders for album of the year. Does Venerable fit this category? It possibly could seeing how it’s HELL of a lot better than the majority of the stuff released this year. I’m just really anxious to hear how the fans interpret them. I think what will be even more enjoyable is catching them on their tour this year. I myself live in Winnipeg (KEN Mode’s home town) and will be seeing them at the beginning of May and I’m MORE than stoked to see them. Fuck The Facts (female fronted experimental grindcore band) and Withdrawal (local metallic hardcore band playing in the vein of Integrity) will be opening for them. Anyways, don’t be an idiot and miss out on what is possibly this years BEST release to date. So do yourself a favor and pick up the album at Profound Lore Record and at their Big Cartel website.
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