Artoffact Records

KEN mode – VOID Review

By Dolphin Whisperer on September 22, 2023 in Reviews, Hardcore, Noise Rock, Post-Hardcore, Post-Metal, 39 comments

“Here we are again strung upon KEN mode’s newest, fresh-faced outing, VOID—well, as fresh a face as these Canucks can muster. NULL’s intense and twisted Red Demon has fractured into a split visage of terrified sadness and caved-in confidence. Though KEN mode has little to fret over in the performance realm, the returning four-piece lineup boasting some of the most diverse and rich talents of the band’s career, a troubled mind, this demon state, does not find solace through notes of proficiency and creativity.” Face of things to come.

KEN mode – NULL Review

By Dolphin Whisperer on September 26, 2022 in Reviews, Hardcore, Noise, Noise Rock, Sludge Metal, 34 comments

“No, this album has nothing to do with our favorite sponge friend. Yes, this album has everything to do with FOUR angry Canadians now that KEN mode has promoted Kathryn Kerr, a one-woman wrecking ball of saxophone, synth, and piano prowess, previously guest-credited on 2018’s Loved. Did you think that KEN mode would go full saxcore after that experimental sludgeball? Well, I bet your 2022 bingo card is all kinds of fucked up at this point, so let’s make this one easy: KEN mode—or more accurately, primary bleeding heart Jesse Matthewson—hated the past couple years and it shows.” No dream house for you!

GGGOLDDD – This Shame Should Not Be Mine Review

By GardensTale on April 4, 2022 in Reviews, Alternative Metal, 132 comments

“GGGOLDDD is a band with a message. That sentence alone is enough to put Many People on edge. Because Many People are of the opinion that your sole duty as a band is to play music, not to confront us with stuff like political statements or uncomfortable truths. Many People say that music is supposed to be an escape and the only emotions an artist is allowed to make you feel are happy ones. Many People speak utter horseshit. Many People speak this horseshit because listening to a band with a message makes them uncomfortable, even when the message is as plain as “don’t fucking rape people.”” Words to live by.

Kauan – Ice Fleet Review

By El Cuervo on April 8, 2021 in Reviews, Post-Metal, 78 comments

“It’s April 2021 and our favorite Russians masquerading as Finns by way of Ukraine and Estonia are back with their ninth studio release. Ice Fleet is their first album laced with any English (in its title) and tells the true story of an unidentified fleet of ships discovered in Northern Russia in 1930, with its crew and cargo perfectly frozen in time. Kauan offered some of the best post-metal of the 2010s, culminating in the delicate and stirring Kaiho in 2017. It arguably deserved a spot on my list given that I return to it more than most from that year, so what are my thoughts with the passing of 4 years?” Frozen feelz.

Seer – Vol. 6 Review

By El Cuervo on February 12, 2019 in 2019, Artoffact Records, Black Metal, Canadian Metal, Doom Metal, Heavy Metal, Reviews, Sludge Metal, Stoner Metal, Black Metal, Doom Metal, Heavy Metal, Sludge Metal, 50 comments

“Trve followers may notice that this is the third review for Vancouver’s unheralded Seer at this site. Vol. 1 & 2 opened 2016 with a whimper which at least betrayed some potential for proper impact, and said impact was felt with 2017’s Vol. III & IV. 2019 has arrived and with it comes a rejection of Roman numerals and a reversion to integers in Vol. 6. ‘But wait!’ I hear you cry; ‘What happened to Vol. 5?’ The honest reason that I didn’t cover it was partly that we didn’t receive the promo but principally that I didn’t have much inclination to buy and review a record simply to say that it’s average. You may consequently note that my views on Seer are reasonably varied. What, then, is the verdict for this release?” _Insert joke about being able to see the future here._ (Wait, is that the joke or should we insert one?)