Taking their name from a passage in Henry Rollins' memoir Get in the Van, KEN mode (short for Kill Everyone Now) are a Canadian noise rock band hailing from Winnipeg, Manitoba. Brothers Jesse and Shane Matthewson, the band's two consistent members (who handle guitar/vocals and drums, respectively), have rounded out their numbers with an illustrious collection of bassists, including Electro Quarterstaff's Drew Johnston, Mares of Thrace's Thérèse Lanz, and Khann's Andrew LaCour (to name a few). With a punishing metallic sound, the band expands on the solid foundation laid down by AmRep titans like the Jesus Lizard and Unsane, harnessing those bands' sense of aggression and agitation while considerably upping the intensity. KEN mode made their full-length debut in 2003 with Mongrel, released by Escape Artist, which would also go on to release their sophomore effort, Reprisal, in 2006. A self-released third album, Mennonite, followed in 2008. Two years later, KEN mode hooked up with the influential metal label Profound Lore, which released their fourth album, Venerable. The album would prove to be a breakthrough for KEN mode, who earned the first-ever Juno in the heavy metal category. Their fifth album, Entrench, dropped in 2013 on Season of Mist. The same label released the group's Steve Albini-recorded sixth album, Success, in 2015; their seventh, Loved, produced by Andrew Schneider (Unsane, Daughters), arrived in 2018. ~ Gregory Heaney
