KEN Mode have always favored a dark and oppressive path for their extreme music aspirations. From their early days up to the release of the seminal Entrench, the act from Winnipeg, Canada has not held anything back. In 2013 it would be difficult to imagine how KEN Mode could surpass their seminal works. The release of Success in 2015 felt like a slight misstep, with KEN Mode returning to a point of origin. The more standard noise rock element was front and center, but the mean strike that defined their style was a bit lacking. All this would be remedied with 2018’s Loved, a work of dark hardcore that not only did not hold back, but also hinted to new, exciting pathways for KEN Mode. It is exactly these labyrinthine passages that NULL has come to unveil.
Off the bat, this is as devastating a work as anything you could expect from KEN Mode. Heavy riffs plunged into the sludge pool and combine with the usual post-hardcore fury. Opener “A Love Letter” makes the introductions in masterful fashion, a dark hole warping the state of reality. Erratic math-inspired structures ramp up the aggression, leading to erratic moments like “Throw Your Phone In The River” and the venomous tendencies of “But They Respect My Tactics.” More direct moments are still at large, relishing the dark post-hardcore tonality that KEN Mode have been captivating for two decades now. Either in the cataclysmic “Not My Fault” or the noise rock havoc of “The Desperate Search For An Enemy,” there is no shelter from this storm. The pacing then drops leading to the epic, 10-minute long “Lost Grip.” Navigating through heavy music, the dark ambiance traverses through melancholic extensions, the piano phrases are key in making this dark mantra stand tall, the repeating delivery of “I don’t believe that you mean well” standing firm and then spiraling into the sickening “we deserve this” echoes.
While most of this is to be expected from KEN Mode, NULL makes a descent into an even darker and more oppressive abyss. The no-wave ethic has been of course alluded to in the past. Here, the specter of Swans floats over the proceedings, contributing a plethora of tools. Circular repetitions and venomous riffs, off-kilter structures completing this towering bleakness. A great contribution to this end is the inclusion of Kathryn Kerr as a full-time member. Having previously appeared in Loved, Kerr’s presence is pivotal in NULL. The saxophone is a perfect example of KEN Mode’s augmentation, providing an avant-garde and improvisational quality to moments like the opener. It gives a further level of despair and anguish to this work, but that is of course not all. In expanding the standard rock instrumentation and form, KEN Mode have evoked an industrial-esque spirit. One that goes hand in hand with their dystopian ambitions, giving tracks like “The Tie” and “Unresponsive” a cold, detached industrial backbone that would make Einsturzende Neubauten proud.
NULL finds KEN Mode having transformed into something even darker and more potent than their previous manifestation. In retaining all their extreme elements, brutal songwriting and technical prowess, they again do not hold anything back. Yet, they have added to this recipe. No wave and industrial, ambient allusions, extended instrumentation and an improvisational quality further elevate their vision. NULL is supposed to be the first half in a two-part series of works, with the second half coming later this year. Expectations are high, but I cannot wait to experience the conclusion of this mode.
