One does not just shake the tension, pain, and total upheaval that the global pandemic forced us all to experience. Lives changed, some ended, the world was torn apart even further, and people’s purposeful stupidity made matters even worse and put others in jeopardy. We can’t just shake those times. They’re a part of us, and our recovery will last far into the future.
Canadian metallic noise veterans KEN mode have been dealing with that time period over the course of their art, and we get a second serving of that with “Void.” A companion piece to last year’s stunning “Null,” this eight-track bruiser isn’t a retread of that album at all. It’s very different sonically and personality wise, and its songs are the result of the sadness and disappointment that resulted from dealing with the height of the pandemic. The band—vocalist/guitarist/synth player Jesse Matthewson, bassist/backing vocalist Skot Hamilton, saxophone/synth and piano player, backing vocalist Kathryn Kerr, drummer Shane Matthewson—created this album at the same time as “Null,” and they make for an excellent one-two punch that features some of the band’s most inspired work to date.
“The Shrike” opens and slowly builds, but before you know it, the intensity has spiked. “There’s no escape from our mistakes,” Jesse seethes, the steam rising and aggravating wounds, a muddy haze suddenly developing hanging over as the drumming mashes its body into the dirt. “Painless” prowls with a thick bassline, flexing muscle as the drums drive the verses, the sax playing bringing equal measures of calm and panic. “You are all alone,” Jesse pokes, “Most wish you were never here,” as the heat wilts, blurring your vision. “These Wires” is an incredible piece, a 7:54 slow burner that’s the most different thing on either of their most recent two records. The guitars are moody, keys dripping, and Jesse speak singing, unloading the burden with, “I do not feel like this will ever end.” Things ignite as Jesse howls, “Why would anything feel right again?” a sentiment that weighs down hard, the ominous tones making it clear that things are not comfortable. “I can’t feel like this much longer,” Jesse admits, seeming on the verge of defeat, slowly draining into the ground. “We’re Small Enough” is a strange one, a track that slips into sci-fi synth fog, the band feeling as proggy as they ever have. The alien terrain sucks blood from your veins, sweltering in the thick air, slipping out into darkness.
“I Cannot” is sinewy and wastes no time doling out punishment, the shrieks blasting away, guitars catching fire and amplifying the heaviness. Scathing pressure adds to the torment, Kerr’s sax crawls in and adds noise squalls, chewing at your nerve endings as it makes your brain sizzle. “A Reluctance of Being” is impossibly dark, Jesse dourly admitting, “I’m never going to be OK,” a sentiment he repeats as the playing sinks deeper into the soot. Noise kicks up as the sludge factor becomes more pronounced, the howls carving away at you. The pace picks up as the bass thickens, Jesse changing the thought to, “I’ll never let you be OK,” as sounds sizzle, sax swings hard toward the unsteady, and the final stab of, “We’re never going to be OK,” uniting us in misery. “He Was A Good Man, He Was A Taxpayer” brings stinging guitars and an overcast pall, the track slowly battering as you fall apart. “We will never learn,” Jesse levels, synth wafting into a ’70s style vibe, fire finally raining down as everything ends with the pronouncement, “Now that I’m gone, you’re free.” “Not Today, Old Friend” brings the record to an end by toying with your emotions, speak singing jabbing, the darkness thickening as the sax wafts like a ghoul. Isolation builds as the walls close in, Jesse biting back with, “And isn’t that what matters? That you’ve been thanked? Whether or not I even remember your name?” as sadness pulls us under forever.
“Void” finishes off an incredible two-album trip that has given us some of the most combustible, memorable songs on their entire run, which is saying something considering the weight of their catalog. This record is even more indicative of what they can accomplish in this form, Kerr really leaning into the record and dashing it with some of her own colors. Every moment of KEN mode’s music is deep and personal, and records like these linger, sticking in your mind for days on end.
For more on the band, go here: https://www.facebook.com/kenmode
To buy the album, go here: https://kenmode.bandcamp.com/album/void
For more on the label, go here: https://artoffact.com/
Meat Mead Metal 