MARY AND THE BOY
S/T
(Low Impedance)

QUEEN ELEPHANTINE
Surya
(Self-Released)

KEN MODE
Reprisal
(Escape Artist)

SHELLSHAG
Destroy Me I'm Yours
(Starcleaner)

THINE EYES BLEED
S/T
(The End)

GREY DATURAS
Return to Disruption 

(Neurot)

GOD'S REVOLVER
Little Black Horse Where Are

You Going With Your Dead 
River

(Exigent)

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There are drummers and there are drummers. Then, there are drummers. Ken Mode’s skin basher Shane Matthewson belongs to the latter kind; the ones that organize and gather the masses. The ones that make the difference and are, through skills and gusto, able to elevate the sound of a band from the above par to the outstanding. This guy is all over the place, sprinkling Ken Mode’s hybrid of noise and hardcore with pixie dust (read: inspiring skills, all frills, fills and thrills) like his name is Peter Pan and his drumsticks are two magic wands.  Gotta love it. Ken Mode plays in many respects technical hardcore and the style Matthewson cultivates here is similar to the style exploited by Mastodon’s Brian Dailor, where fuckers head their own way and on one hand keep the beat and on the other participate as much as the guitars and the vocals. Their role, for sure more important than that of a bassist.

And kudos to the band too. Quite frankly I wasn’t expecting a three piece to come off as potent as Ken Mode. Guitarist vocalist Jesse Matthewson (is this one musical family or what?) bends his axe in quasi mathematical manners, the riffs are played in Forrest Gump ping-pong speed angularity, shooting off in all directions and in the vocal part, though typical, at least Jesse’s raspiness is a musical match to the music’s potency.  The result is an explosive encounter between post hardcore and noise rock.

There is a trend I have noticed with hardcore bands. It’s been happening for a couple of years now; that where the band positions its best song towards the end of the album. The song in question being one of those out of character representations where post rockisms abound. In the case of Reprisal, it comes in eighth position and is called “Capricorn”. It starts with feedback, bass and marching drums build up for nearly four minutes before pressing for sonic chunk and incorporating blooming guitars. If this is the way hardcore is heading I am all for it. Great song. Solid album.  

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