KEN MODE have been a presence in the modern heavy metal circuit for years now. These Manitoba musicians are not your average, fame-delusional rockers. They tend to see things in a more practical and realistic way, even if the truth can be downright maddening. They have just released their latest album, "Success", and this record appropriately conveys the schizophrenic aggravation one would feel in this 21st Century, the digital age of alienation.

I think the real shining part of this record would be the outrageous lyrics that accompany all the song.  On he song "These Tight Jeans", the lyrics start off with vocalist Shane Matthewson screaming out "I would like to kill the nicest man in the world; Make him feel uneasy, make him feel strange!" With a line with so much power and attitude to it like that, it's difficult to get this phrase out of your head even if its not exactly being sung. None of the lyrics on "Success" are really sung but madly shouted and spoken. However the exceptional power of KEN MODE's writing ability, these off-kilter lyrics have their own unique sort of rewarding sense to them.

This new album from KEN MODE is a departure from their metal crossover with hardcore. This album was hardly even metallic whatsoever. This album sounded closer to a FUGAZI or a BLACK FLAG record than anything that is usually associated with modern metal. In fact, I hear far more Grunge Rock on "Success" than I do any metal, metalcore, or anything close to resembling metal. But I don't want to discredit this album. There is plenty of rage and loud aggression to be heard on "Success" and this album is undeniably a success. And yes, I am aware of the irony of me calling an album by its actual name. But I think this KEN MODE album has the same weight and validity of any metal band's triumphant release, despite being a noise-slash-punk rock band.