BLACK TUSK

there is something in the Savannah water and it’s tainted with metal 

by Heath Fenton

Every once and a while a vibrant music scene will emerge from some random city. More recently it has happened in cities such as Seattle, Montreal, and Detroit to name a few.  It’s not like these places needed to get put on the map, but the music scene they provided created a folklore of hipness amongst the music community.  The latest city to gain such steam is a most unlikely one.  The sleepy southern hollow of Savannah Georgia has been gathering speed in the underground metal world.  Black Tusk is one of the heads of the Savannah three-headed band monster also consisting of Baroness and Kylesa. Some buzz publications might have you believe that Savannah is the new place for bands to move to and live out your rock and roll dreams. Nothing could be further from the truth, stresses Black Tusk guitarist/vocalist Anton Fidler. “That has been a giant misconception.  Savannah barely even has a scene.  People seem to think that it’s us, Baroness and Kylesa playing every fucking weekend.  It’s not like that at all.  Savannah has an art college and there’s just a ton of hipster kids and they just want to listen to DJs and indie rock.”  In fact, Savannah doesn’t even have a record store. But whatever city council has been spiking the Savannah water supply with it has rubbed off the right way on a few.

Fidler and his Black Tusk band mates Jonathon Athon (bass/vocals) and Jamie May (drums/vocals) all formed on the same street.  They grew up through their formative years with some like-minded folk and eventually just started their own little metal scene through friends and hangers-on at a DIY venue called The Jinx.  If they were all to tour together and the bus crashed killing them all, the Savannah underground music scene would be wiped clean.  Black Tusk are so constantly lumped in with the other two Savannah bands that you’d think they’d get sick of the comparisons.  Although there is a similar Savannah sound steeped in a proggy sludge, the reality is that all three have unique characteristics to their sound.  Black Tusk is like the dirty ugly cousin.  “It’s like this,” explains Fidler, “we’re the Motörhead , Kylesa are the Pink Floyd and Baroness are the Led Zeppelin.”  An analogy I couldn’t agree with more.  With roots sprung from an early love of punk rock, Black Tusk can get it all on with crust, raunch, sludge and they hit hard. Fiddler goes on, “It’s sometimes a little bit of punk rock, sometimes a little bit of rock and roll and always heavy metal.

Black Tusk are currently touring their fourth album entitled Set the Dial, their debut for Relapse Records.   And they’ve been touring their ass off since 2006.  They will be returning to Vancity after just playing here a couple of months ago as one of the openers for the KEN mode/Todays the Day tour.
I was at the show and they absolutely pummelled the Rickshaw’s hard concrete walls. That was their first time in Canada for about three or four years, Fidler figures.  It’s the usual story of border problems that have steered Black Tusk away: “It’s definitely a hassle but once we’re across all the Canadian shows are awesome. Great enthusiastic crowds.” Fidler says about crossing the border last tour. “I was a little taken aback about spending 50 dollars on a 30-pack of beer. That was a little bit crazy.” But grouchy border guards and expensive beer aside, Black Tusk have nothing but good things to say about our fair country.

Black tusk play the Rickshaw theatre on May 5^th with Kvelertak and Burning Ghats.

SUBCULTURE MAY

Some sad news to pass along.... Caleb Henyu-Crowchild passed away mid-April in his sleep... He was a strong supporter of the punk and metal music scene and rarely missed a gig.... To honour him as an exemplary single dad and raise some funds for his girls, we are having a couple of shows coming up in May...

 The first one is his memorial show on Monday, May 6 featuring the Dayglo Abortions with Snaggletooth [Motörhead] and the Fight United... There will be a 50/50 draw and a donation box at the show... A second full fundraiser show is slated for Saturday, May 18 and is being co-organized with RC Guns and her band the Wett Stilettos... Both shows are at Funkys 37 West Hastings...

CASUALTIES, DAYGLO ABORTIONS

CASUALTIES - Cat Ashbee photo

Rickshaw Theatre - April 11, 2013

NYC Casualties launched off with “My Blood, My Life, Always Forward,” from their new LP Resistance. Front man Jorge led the pandemonium provoking punx to move beyond the barricades with songs from On The Front Line, For The Punx, Diehards, and Underground Army albums from 1997 onwards.

 Despite the fact that these streetpunks just released on metal label Season of the Mist, there was no shortage of a charged mosh at this show. Finishing off with ‘97 anthem "RIOT" and the words to “We Are All We Have Tonight” inciting a sing-along that will ring true and in your head for days to come.

SUBROSA, EIGHT BELLS, ASTRAKHAN, DUNGEONS

The Astoria - April 20, 2013

This past Saturday presented ample opportunity to catch some new to these ears musical goodness and mix with the bearded jean-jacketed types as a rush of quality metal from straight up hardcore to complex violin-rich doom graced the stage of the Astoria. Thank God the ear protection was firmly in place.

YOB

Manifest a substantial presence

There is an undeniable transcendent or spiritual tie-in with doom metal band, YOB. “My focus is to reach within and try to unravel the mess inside of myself, and then to reach out to others who are working on this as well,” explains guitarist and vocalist Mike Scheidt. “I think the mystical or spiritual connect comes from the attempt to be fully present…. but the most important piece is what we as band and people as audience bring to those ideas and symbols, in the moment.” Scheidt revealed an interest in the teaching of Ramana Maharshi, Sri Nisargadatta, HWL Poonja, Shunryu Suzuki, amongst others.

GOATWHORE

Nathaniel Shannon photo

Revitalizing American metal

There’s a new wave of American extreme metal. Have you heard of it? No?

Well, take notice. 

One of the forefathers of the movement are the Louisiana swamp lords, Goatwhore.  Since 1997 the band has been a staple in this relatively unknown revolution.  For the last few years bands like High on Fire, Cephalic Carnage, Pig Destroyer and The Black Dahlia Murder, among others, have been carving a hidden tunnel of evil that smuggles in the sounds of the American underground. A revolution that has taken over from the Florida death metal scene left dormant in the 1990s.

Forging the way with European influences and instilling a definitive American sound, Goatwhore continues being kings of the vibrant Louisiana metal scene. It just so happens that Louisiana is only a stone’s throw away from the land of FLA, the birthplace of death.  So they packed up camp and made the drive across the state border to the land of Saint Petersburg to record with legendary producer and death metal aficionado Eric Rutland.  The outcome was Goatwhore’s fifth album, Blood for the Master. It sounds like a brewing pot of violent volume and good old-fashioned American angst.

Drumming up the demons is vocalist Ben Falgoust, who was recruited for the open position after a Baton Rouge punch up involving original vocalist, and current guitarist Sammy Duet. “Sammy got in a bar fight in Baton Rouge and he got his jaw broken.  I was into a lot of the shit he was doing and I kind of stepped in and helped out and did some shows and after that things sort of fell into place and they kept going from there,” says Falgoust of his Goatwhore apprenticeship.  A wired jaw later, Ben is in the fold and Goatwhore takes hold.  It’s now been over ten years and Zack Simmons and James Harvey were summoned on drums and bass respectively.

It may be a small coincidence to reach Ben by phone in the Goatwhore tour van on their way to Baton Rouge. The same town of that fateful dust up after a riverboat show at Austin’s South By South West (SXSW).  People have been sticking the black metal label onto Goatwhore like sand on a fresh wound. However, extreme metal is a more deserving term to describe them.  Because, in reality, they are just straight up Southern-fried badass heavy music that covers a number of the many so-called metal sub genres. “People like to put things in categories but using the term extreme leaves it a little bit more open,” Falgoust explains. “We have the angles of death metal, black metal, thrash metal and things like that all kind of blended in even to the point of full on crust, punk and hardcore.” Goatwhore are not a band to be pigeonholed, they just play music that they grew up with and love.

The Vancouver show will mark the beginning of a small Canadian tour that runs from coast to coast. 3 Inches of Blood will jump on the tour to co-headline after the Vancouver date. “The common thing we think about Canada is the cold weather of course but overall, our experiences through the years from the first time until now have been really good,” says Falgoust.Goatwhore are no strangers to Canadian soil and this will actually be their third stop in the last three years.

-Heath Fenton

Goatwhore play the Rickshaw Theatre April 10 with Tyrant’s Blood, M16 and Galgamex.

KENTUCKY WOMANIZER

Matt Leaf photo

Spark their own kinda light

Burlesque artist Calamity Kate is the rocking seducer of roller Troy Zak, or is it the opposite? Either way, Kentucky Womanizer is a punk ‘n’ roll band with a namesake. “It's my tribute to the real King of Rock 'n' Roll, Neil Diamond,” says bass player and vocalist Zak. “A master song writer. He is so romantic,” adds Kate. “I made it clear to Troy that I get a 'hall pass' should the opportunity ever arise.

“We had been talking about doing something together,” explains Zak. “Calamity Kate, hands down, is one of the most engaging people I've ever seen on a stage.

“I told Troy that I'd sleep with him if he started a band with me, and it worked,” laughs Kate.

“We made a deal I would write the music, sing and Calamity Kate would do all of the back up vocals and light some shit on fire, grind sparks off her smokin' hot body,” says Zak, and “give people something to remember. It's more than music. It's entertainment and we both love that.”

Kate had been on tour with Big John Bates and the Voodoo Dollz. “I loved being a part of that band,” explains Kate, “but I wanted to do something a little different and since I'm dating such an incredible musician, we thought that we could combine both of our talents.”

Zak has toured with the Vibrators, Last of the Bad Men and is on the road with the Real McKenzies. Kentucky Womanizer is a project with Kate and Zak at the core. Add Corporal Ninny from SNFU, the Hookers and the Red Hot Lovers on drums. Guitarist Justin Jeske, from the Wanna-Be's on Lookout! Records, recorded on the album as well. “We have a talented pool of musicians in this city to pull from,” says Troy, “whether or not they stick around depends on if they can get through the set while Calamity Kate is on stage half naked and starting fires.”

The provoking number “Get Down Get On It” is proof of that. “It makes me want to get up, dance and drink a lot of beer!” exclaims Kate. “It's not about sex,” explains Zak, “but it could be. It's about getting off your ass and achieving your goals. For me it meant fronting my own band.”

Three of those songs are out on a comp called Love Thy Beaver including the latter and two covers that feature Calamity Kate on vocals and Greg Kuehn of T.S.O.L. on organ. Look for a 10-inch on SHAKE! Records from Victoria.  An EP of eight punk ‘n' roll songs recorded at the House of Payne.

Kentucky Womanizer is a modern day rock ‘n’ roll ceremony of Vaudeville. “As far as punk rock making a comeback? I didn't know it left town. I've still got my records so it's here forever,” says Zak. It’s a ditto for burlesque. “Lucky for us, Vancouver has some of the best performers in the world.  I see it fitting together beautifully as myself and many of my fellow artists are always creating numbers to punk/rock songs,” explains Kate. “Traditionally, burlesque had always been performed along with a live band…”

Be tempted by Kentucky Womanizer, The Injectors and The Stockers April 25th at Gators Pub in Abbotsford

- More Betty

NAPKIN RECORDS TURN ONE

                                  

basement punks get a year wiser

Emphasizing creativity and innovation above budget and sanity, this has been a challenging and productive year for Napkin Records. To celebrate their first birthday, Napkin hosted an all-day bash with some of their label's best talents, including Hemogoblin, Lesser Pissers, Bertha Cool, and Industrial Priest Overcoats playing a showcase at Neptoon Records. Even more promising, a 20-track tape was released free-of-charge, featuring some great art work and the rest of a largely new but impressive roster, including Gender Dog and Night Detective.

“Basement punk bands with no way to facilitate producing their music” are Napkin's focus according to label co-founder Rob Tunold, who started the label with Ben Beckett in 2012. They’ve populated their roster with acts “so focused on making music that they don't have anything to do with it,” says Tunold. This includes two completed EPs by Lesser Pisser and Girl Dracula, a cassette by Industrial Priest Overcoats, and two compilation cassettes—including their anniversary release—featuring all of their talents.

They follow in the ambitious vein of several other Vancouver start-ups, promoting a local roster and distributing them amongst independent record stores and through repeated live appearances. But they can't take their influences too seriously. “Richard Branson is kind of always been the guy. My dream date has been windsurfing with Richard Branson. Give me Richard Branson, a hot air balloon and a Jeep Wrangler,” Beckett jokes. 

In addition to operating as a label, they publish an online magazine called the Weekly Douche, which includes “doing band and show reviews, crosswords also an advice column with Mel Venus,” says Beckett. The contents are satirical, subversive, and, at times, surreal as their writers take the form of characters and caricatures of various stereotypes. “We're doing everything a paper would do, but better,” Tunold quips. 

“We're also actively recording anybody who wants to record, for a fraction of what anyone's charging,” Tunold makes clear. Although they began in a promising location filled with many of their friends, they've since moved homes to Frownstairs.

We were treated to complimentary performances by many of their acts throughout the night. Hemogoblin were ferocious during their set. A uniquely heavy two-piece, head banging their way through nearly metal psychedelic thrash. Though their performance was an exception to the post punk influence of their label contemporaries, they were welcomed with wild applause tonight.  A split with them and Bertha Cool, who also performed that night, is due from Napkin later this year.

Industrial Priest Overcoat followed with a high energy, shrieking performance that saw all the members of the act trading instruments and roles with adept ability. Beckett alleges they're the reason for Napkins creation. “That's the kind of band Napkin Records is about, our flagship band, as opposed to any kind of mission statements we might have,” Beckett asserts. “It's the work of Trevor McEachron, who records everything in his bedroom, all instruments himself, for years. We put together a band for him, and we're putting out his record, and the music is amazing.”

In autumn, Napkin Records is embarking on its first American tour through the East Coast, starting in Ohio and hitting many notable cities. Before they leave they'll be making additions to the current roster, including the Whirlies, Gender Dog, and Barrett's Syndrome. They're also very willing to pick favourites, referring to Industrial Priest Overcoats as their current flagship band and looking forward to scheduling a fundraiser. 

The no-cost, community-dependent performances like Neptoon's celebration are what keep Robert Tunold and Ben Beckett motivated to continue their label. “Anything we've done that's been free, we've been happy to do. Whether it’s house parties such as Frownstairs or at Neptoon records today.” With as much progress, we can't help but look forward to their next exhibition.

Napkin records are co presenting Bertha Cool, Industrial Priest Overcoats, and Night Detective at Astorinos, on April 28th with the Safe Amplifcation Society

by Matthew Youdan

THE HOOKERS, TOBEATIC, THE JOLTS

Astoria Pub, March 15 2013

Back at the Astoria the excitement was running high for the return of the insanely rocking Hookers; who originated from Louisville Kentucky in 1994. They have toured all over the US and Europe as they were kindred spirits in the punk/garage scene in the 90's. Two nights with different support each evening was the menu this weekend. Their first album Satan's Highway came out in 1998 and a succession of 7- inch singles and a split 12" with Electric Frankenstein followed. They bring wild RNR and thrash to the table with high-speed rhythms and screaming vocals - The crowd just went crazy as singer Adam Neal laid down a raging sermon for the fans. Like the Misfits in the past they bring the old school back.

SUBCULTURE APRIL

So I thought this month I would talk about our dear ol' Government's border crossing policy.... What is needed for a non-Canadian band to play in Canada is a minimum five page form called an LMO... A 'Labour Market Opinion’.... You can Google 'CRA LMO' and it will take you to a Service Canada website where you can download the PDF to print out the forms...

Now the trick to these, is making sure you just keep your answers to the 69 questions simple... YES / NO is good! ... I use the terms 'original band' and 'job retention' a lot!

DOOM

touch down in Canada

by More Betty

UK crust punks make their way to Canada for the first time. With Stick on drums and Bri Doom on guitar, both have been the nucleus of every DOOM line up since 1987. Scoot who played bass fifteen-sixteen years ago is back and Denis is onboard on vocals. "We've all had a long stint in the family," explains Stick.

2010 saw a return of Doom, which started with Bri and Scoot talking. “Scoot was a bit pissed off about a lot of bands reforming just to cash in or for the wrong reasons, we knew people were still interested in the band’s legacy from people we'd meet, as we never 'retired' we just changed the emphasis to play with other bands," he says and, "I was a bit reluctant that even though I knew what our intentions were and are [that] we would get tarred with the same brush as the bandwagon jumpers, but we were welcomed back with more enthusiasm than I would have dreamt of.”

At the time of this interview they were writing and recording a new album and modern communication played a huge role. Three of the members were living within a five mile radius in Halifax UK while Denis had moved to Sweden when his girlfriend got pregnant with Embla thirteen years ago. “It was a big decision to get him back in the band as we were worried that the distance would be a problem,” he says and, "everything has worked out better than I could have hoped." This can be attributed to the Internet and technological changes from twenty-five years ago. The three wrote songs in the UK and within ten minutes they were emailed to Denis in Sweden. “Twenty-five years ago it would have [meant] sending a cassette through the post,” says Stick and adds "Tho, I still don't think you can’t beat a bit of face time at a pub!"

Long before the Internet, UK's John Peel was an influential force in introducing people to good music. "We were gobsmacked when we were asked to do a Peel session …. we were a bunch of blokes on the dole," recalls Stick and "we couldn't afford big fancy studios, so getting paid to record in one of the top studios in the UK was a big thing …. Basically, you got four goes to record a track, so as long as we didn't have a break we could link songs together, he explains and "the two Peel sessions basically formed an album. Got to admit I shed a tear at the news of 'Peelys' death, a great, genuine bloke, still missed"

Some of the early albums were recently reissued in 2012. "Total Doom was through Peaceville, licensing it to Svart, when they got in touch I helped out with liner notes, they made a beautiful job of it," says Stick. Doomed Again was out on Agipunk. “Something I'd been trying to sort out for years. I'd taken all the old DAT recordings of the 7-inch/comps etc and put them on a CD for myself and just wanted to put all the rare stuff in one place so it makes it available," he says and, “our records have become 'rare' due to labels usually running out of cash to repress." Also, Antisociety has just re-released the World Of Shit first pressings and a live LP recorded from last Euro tour, also included on the CD version. 

There is a story behind the hand illustrated artwork in the albums, "I did a lot of the drawings on War Crimes," says Stick and "the crusty guy with the cloud was based on all the band members of that era and …. every-time we went to the rehearsal rooms, it rained, so we had a theory that there was a 'doom cloud' following us around …. the other drawings were based on lyrics. We've since had a few help out with art: Magnus, Dennis and Skinny, who has recently been back in touch." And is responsible for the new LP cover, and the front of the tour shirt.

So to bring things full circle, when asked if Swedish d-beat and hardcore still rules? "Swedish d-beat filtered through a couple of 'Brummies' still rules!"

DOOM lands at The Astoria with CHRISTDRIVER/RAPID LOSS/KOSZMAR/E.O.P. on Tuesday, April 2nd, 2013

TOBEATIC

six parts RNR

by More Betty
photo by Bubba Hamilton

Taking their cue from "Satan, free love, rock 'n' roll and maybe a little Scorpions, Thin Lizzy, Deep Purple, Uriah Heep and Sir Lord Baltimore. But that's only the tip of the iceberg..." explains keyboardist, Mike Gittens. Vancouver’s Tobeatic just finished recording their full length All to Hell.

Describing this band can take on an unreal and mythic quality. "Six dudes riding the back of a giant bear with the head of an eagle traversing the wasteland and saving humanity with the superpowers of rock 'n' roll. It's kinda like the littlest hobo but with more swords, magic and guitars,” he exclaims! Alternately, their namesake, ‘Tobeatic’ has a rooted quality. "It's a large wilderness reserve in Nova Scotia close to where Gord grew up,” he says and “most of the lyrics are about his times out there. I believe Tobeatic means, 'Place of the Alder' in the Mi'kmaq language." 

 "Frozen Ocean" Video

Members include: Gordon Smith on vox/guitar, Gittens on organ, Rick O'Dell on bass, Joel James Loewen on drums, Brock MacInnes and Troy Horton on lead guitar. Upon hearing this band, it's quite apparent that the combined influence of the members' various projects can only add and enhance the thick stew of Tobeatic's sound. For example: the grind sludge of Cooked and Eaten, sludge doom of Rotting Hills, Percheron's lonesome country, Wiser Fool's 70’s doom rock, Erosion's d-beat and the punk pop of Hard Feelings. "Gord put the band together. We had a couple of jams with a different lineup in 2009,” he says and “late 2010 we started it back up with Troy, Joel and Brock. We asked Rick to come down and he was a perfect fit! We tried out three different lead singers along the way but ended up where we started, with Gord singing." 

All to Hell was recorded it at Hive Creative Labs with Jesse Gander. "This was the third time we've tried to make an album, going with Jesse was a no brainer and he did such an amazing job! His ears and brain have been refined for making rock 'n' roll records," explains Gittens. The digital download is available now on their Bandcamp but expect a hard copy by summer. Additional credits go to Alison Lilly for the album artwork and Johnny Wakeham of Bogus Tokus and Feather Wolf does a guest appearance on the track “Frozen Ocean” where he plays harmonica and slide guitar. MacInnes, the guitarist did the video for the same track as well as for bands: Cooked and Eaten and Rotting Hills.

Finally, what binds this band together? "Pretty much just playing music every Thursday and drinking beer!" he exclaims. And it looks like a Canadian tour by summer and a 7-inch split is brewing!

Hear Tobeatic live, March 1st at the Rickshaw Theatre, March 15th and April 19th at the Astoria Pub.

THE SHRINE

psychedelic rockers riff on pizza, skate spots

by Matthew Youdan

photo by Olivia Jaffe

The Shrine are liquidating hardcore enthusiasts and heavy jams, crashing through a North American tour with Primitive Blast. The Shrine are performing their named and perfected “psychedelic violence,” developed  over half a decade's run in Los Angeles. Along the way they're stopping in for an exciting return to Vancouver, and they are not to be missed.

Primitive Blast is their newest heavy hitter, stocked like a fallout shelter with wild and excited riffs.  Their songs are the re-configured skeletons of classic rock radio, swapping  out ribs, tibulas, and skulls with equal abandon. Thrasher's find solace in the face-melting solos that adorn their recordings, while they segue to shouting matches between band members. Their performances often extend, like their epic album ender “The River," in to an awe inspiring coda destined to test your mosh pit stamina.

During this time they've earned the respect of their idols, including Black Flag's Chuck Dukowski, and found themselves recording and performing through Black Flag founder Greg Ginn's amplifier. “He's probably my favourite guitar player ever,” says lead singer/guitarist Josh Landau on Ginn's recent announcement of a reunion tour. “But Ginn writing new songs and having a pre-recorded bass is a bummer,” Landau comments, still lamenting Black Flag's infamously wild performances during the ‘80s punk revival.

Despite a hectic road schedule, the Shrine have made the most of mobile technology and keep up to date appearances online. Less astute followers and fans might mix them up with their same-name Chicago space. “Nope, fuck that dance club,” says the band’s frontman. They maintain their own variety of links, including a free download of their album and a tumblr to document their survival on the road “Pizza...pretty much good everywhere. You can't find good Mexican outside of the West Coast, but we survive somehow,” Landau says.

Many of their updates show them flipping skate decks in streets, parking lots, and bowls. Regarding their favourite skate locations, Landau comments “I’m the one that skates the most, everyone cruises though. West Linn, Oregon has been my favourite since I was there years ago: endless pool coping and those shallow stairs.” If you're looking for the perfect rain city park to shred before their set, Landau's already got his board and park. “I know Leeside’s the spot up in Vancouver, but we haven't gotten a chance to hit it yet. Hopefully this time!”

But don't confuse them for another band obsessed with American waste. Despite love for pizza, Mexican, and skateboarding, some of their best tours have been across the Atlantic. Landau comments on Sweden, “we met Smod Mike in Gotenburg and ended up staying up all night printing T-shirts at his lair. Then it turned out he was Graveyard's really good buddy and their artist, so he kinda hooked us up with this tour that we're on now.”

Last May, the Shrine came to Vancouver and tore up the Rickshaw, which we thanked them for with some stellar hospitality at a local bowling alley. “Zach (Rickshaw Theatre) took us to the bowling alley and opened it up late. We had 20 people bowling and a ton of beers and killer tunes cranking. When we finally got back to his place to crash the sun was up. It was fucking amazing.”

Vancouver's likely to have a spectacle of an after party with them this Spring as well. Their shows only get better, their riffs only get heavier, and their moshpits only get more reckless. The most important lesson they've learned since their last visit? “All you have to do is rock, and there's drugs and chicks everywhere!”

The Shrine, Dirty Fences, Three Wolf Moon and Hopeleus, hit the deck at the Astoria Pub on March 22.

KEN MODE

killing Canadian metal
by Heath Fenton

photo by Scott Kinkade

KEN mode were proudly crowned masters of Canadian metal at the 2012 Juno Awards, the inaugural winner for the heavy metal category. Okay, maybe heavy metal people don’t put too much stock into award shows as most don’t even recognize metal as a genre.  Last year that all changed and the Junos got it right. Spearheading this movement are Winnipeg’s noise mongers KEN mode. 

“It was a very cool experience to win a major award at a very highly regarded Canadian music industry showcase,” says guitarist/vocalist Sean Matthewson. “And it was nothing I thought was ever even close to being in the cards for the band when we first started playing music.” KEN mode challenges what some may say that Canada’s metal scene has never been anything to write home to Satan about. They are a legitimate power force in metal. “I think the Canadian metal scene is quite healthy, and I'd like to help do my part to bring more of the amazing bands to more of a forefront on the international scene.” Matthewson goes on, “Groups like The Great Sabatini, BIIPIIGWAN, Vilipend, Titan, Wake, Cellos, Burning Love, Electro Quarterstaff, Baptists. There are a ton of extremely talented groups pushing their craft all over the world. Even Canadian legends like Voivod and Gorguts have new records coming out this year. Team Canada has a very strong lineup in 2013,” he says.

On March 19 they will drop their fifth full-length album entitled Entrench on Season of Mist records. Matthewson has been releasing albums with his brother Shane as KEN mode since 1999. They hail from the cold tundra of Winnipeg and emerged from the noise/metal scene there, essentially snatching the Winnipeg noise/metal flag that fellow legendary tundra dwellers, the Kittens left for them.  They’ve just recently employed Andrew LaCour as their full time bassist.

The KEN in their namesake is an acronym for “Kill Everyone Now,” a phrase coined by Henry Rollins. And that is quite fitting for the music that KEN mode brings forth. The phrase may conjure up images of a violent killing spree gone wild. But their approach to killing is more slow and methodical. Like a sadistic torture killer. A slow bludgeon of doom-inspired metal. Then they will move on to frenetically stab you with some hardcore and still take their time with their art noise chaos to paint the walls of your apartment with your blood. Finally dismembering you with some post metal craziness and then bury you with some hard hitting punk. KEN mode bring it all with a weird, twisted and fierce manner. “We're undoubtedly an aggressive band, but people expecting thrash or death metal will likely be pretty disappointed,” Matthewson explains. “We draw from all kinds of various sub-genres both within and outside of metal, it's all mixed together into a fairly noise rock hardcore package overall.”

For the full experience of this violent purification, KEN mode must be witnessed live. “A whole lot of  balled up intensity spewing forth all over everyone in the room. We're feeling this music, and the stage show is very much a part of this pretentious catharsis,” Matthewson describes and “you'll leave feeling judged, shaken, a little bit slimy, and guilty for enjoying those feelings more than you should.”  

KEN mode, Today Is The Day, Black Tusk, Fight Amp and Cooked and Eaten play the Rickshaw Theatre on March 29.

SUBCULTURE MARCH

So I wonder sometimes if I could run out of ideas for this column and then boom! something rears its maniacal head that gets me rolling on a tangent …

I got a great quote from Denyss of the Rickshaw while we were chewing the fat on the hypocrisies of Vancouver’s bipolar music scene one day … It goes something like this … ‘convictions only last until they’re inconvenient’…

Now I have the good fortune to still be carrying on my work out of one the last bastions of not-yet-gentrified skid bars in Vancouver…