Kill Everyone Now mode. KEN mode: an ethos legendary Black Flag frontman Henry Rollins would use to describe the band’s state of mind while taking the stage for the endless touring cycle of their genre defying classic album ‘My War’. This proved to be the psychological foundation and attitude for the project Royal Conservatory of Music trained brothers Jesse Matthewson, B.Comm (Hons) and Shane Matthewson CA/CPA, B. Comm (Hons), would dedicate their entire adult lives to, seeing them spread a manic form of metal and hardcore infused noise rock across the globe.
Cutting their teeth in the early aughts, when chaotic hardcore was at its peak, KEN mode would find breakout underground notoriety with a quintet of critically acclaimed records in the 2010’s, working with a who’s who of metal and hardcore producers in Kurt Ballou (Converge) for their Venerable LP (2011), Matt Bayles (Botch, Isis) for Entrench (2013), Steve Albini (Nirvana, The Jesus Lizard) for Success (2015), and Andrew Schneider (Unsane, Cave In) for Loved (2018), all while maintaining an unrelenting tour schedule with such acts as Russian Circles, Torche, Deafheaven, Norma Jean,Kylesa, Pelican, Daughters, Revocation, Full of Hell, Inter Arma, Today is the Day, Birds In Row, and more; along with seeing them hit a multitude of major festivals like SXSW, Hellfest Open Air, CMJ Festival, Pitchfork Festival Chicago, Hopscotch Festival, and Roadburn Festival; and doing live sessions for renowned institutions such as BBC Radio 1 and Daytrotter.
NULL, the band’s brand‐new aural abrasion, may be the group’s quintessential statement of mental collapse and despair made sonic, a direct psychological reaction to the collective experience of the last two and a half years. Drawing from not only the desperate noise and industrial sonics of the 80’s and 90’s ala Swans, Einsturzende Neubauten, or even a Nine Inch Nails, the band has mixed in a decidedly more desperate tone to their already pointed metallic hardcore influenced “extreme noise rock” (see Melvins, Today Is The Day meets Converge and Botch), that has become their signature.
It was a great pleasure to have this wonderful chat with Jesse Matthewson of Ken Mode to talk on Null and much more, check out the awesome Jesse on the below YouTube video.
1 – A Love Letter
2 – Throw Your Phone In The River
3 – The Tie
4 – But They Respect My Tactics
5 – Not My Fault
6 – Lost Grip
7 – The Desperate Search For An Enemy
8 – Unresponsive
Music Videos
The Band
Shane Matthewson − drums
Scott Hamilton − bass, backing vocals
Kathryn Kerr − saxophone, synth, piano, percussion, backing vocals
