3 out of 5

Label: Artoffact Records

Produced by: Andrew Schneider

I like have KEN Mode have been pushing into more arty hardcore over the last few albums, poking and prodding at different expressions of their throttling, punky, noise, but I don’t know if they’ve truly nailed it yet.

Void, the sister album to the preceding Null, is another partial successful foray into that direction, switching out the somewhat flat menace of the preceding album for a sound that, at points, is “classic” KM, but then also becomes melodic at various points, segueing into a post-hardcore, paced style that draws from Slint and their many followers. When the group leans fully into one of these identities, it totally works, but often tracks try to split the difference, and it’s pretty uneven – from a production standpoint, from a sequencing standpoint, and from a compositional standpoint. Kathryn Kerr’s various additions remain one of the group’s most exciting flavorings, though here again they struggle to capitalize on it: while closer Not Today, Old Friend is one of those “lean into” songs – the most Slinty, with the group taking time to craft a mood and allowing all elements to flourish, for a mournful, emotive conclusion – elsewhere, the addition of horns or synths is attempted to be used for a kind of chaotic spatter atop the metal, and Andrew Schneider’s production / the mixing just doesn’t play up that chaos enough, favoring a raw low end which works wonders when the group is in full-on hardcore punk mode (openers The Shrike and Painless are a perfect one-two in that vein) but doesn’t best support when the group needs to switch away from that vibe.

Jesse Matthewson’s lyrics are as oppressive as always, narratively detailing the utter destruction of a relationship (and one’s sense of self) over the course of the album. It feels like there could be more flavor in the storytelling, but it’s still an oppressively weighty string of thoughts, with some interesting imagery adding to the effect. His singing is also evolving, even if, again, we’re seeing some half-steps here into a shout-sing that kinda falls flat; I’d point to the closing track once more as a perfect example of how the group can create menace without as much volume or shouting.

Null felt, perhaps purposefully, rather monotone, but it was also heavy as fuck. Void opens that sounds up a bit, but the group can’t quite stick the landing of that more exploratory sound. However, the pieces are very, very clearly all here, just waiting to be arranged, and the appearance of some peak material at the bookends (and then popping up in moments throughout) definitely suggests we’re closer than ever to some complex masterpiece an album or so away.