If slow and steady wins the race, then KEN Mode‘s newest single “Unresponsive” off their eighth studio effort NULL is the sludge/noise metal equivalent of Usain Bolt.
Unrelenting and pulsing, “Unresponsive” is about as minimalist as you can get without sounding boring. That’s mostly thanks in part to frontman and spit geyser (watch the video, you’ll see it) Jesse Matthewson just straight up yelling into the mic a series of lyrics that he attributes to the COVID-19 pandemic and a series of nightmares he was having at the time.
“At this phase of the pandemic I had begun having dreams about my partner leaving me and my family dying, probably five nights a week, for several months. I sat there, writing the lyrics to this one while listening to a rolling storm come in, that never seemed to actually reach a crescendo. It all felt too apt for the way everything had been feeling for the last year at that point.”
KEN Mode’s Null will be released on September 23, with preorders currently available via Artoffact Records.
KEN Mode will be hitting the road next month for a U.S. tour with support from Frail Body (Deathwish Inc). You can catch them at one of the dates below:
Oct 20 – St Paul, MN @ Turf Club
Oct 21 – Davenport, IA @ Raccoon Motel
Oct 22 – Chicago, IL @ Beat Kitchen
Oct 23 – Indianapolis, IN @ Black Circle Brewing Co.
Oct 24 – Columbus, OH @ Big Room Bar
Oct 25 – Nashville, TN @ DRKMTTR
Oct 26 – Little Rock, AR @ Vino’s
Oct 27 – Oklahoma City, OK @ 89th Street
Oct 28 – Austin, TX @ The Lost Well
Oct 29 – Houston, TX @ Black Magic
Oct 30 – Denton, TX @ No Coast Fest
Oct 31 – New Orleans, LA @ Gasa Gasa
Nov 2 – Atlanta, GA @ The Earl
Nov 3 – Charlotte, NC @ Snug Harbor
Nov 4 – Philadelphia, PA @ Silk City
Nov 5 – Brooklyn, NY @ Saint Vitus
Nov 6 – Cambridge, MA @ Middle East
Nov 7 – Montreal, QC @ Turbo Haus
Nov 8 – Toronto, ON @ The Baby G
Nov 9 – Detroit, MI @ Sanctuary
Nov 10 – Milwaukee, WI @ Cactus Club
Nov 12 – Fargo, ND @ The Aquarium