Jesse Matthewson and Skot Hamilton are the guitarist and bassist, respectively, of the Manitoban noise rock band KEN Mode; Luther Manhole and Stin are also the guitarist and bassist, respectively, of the Oklahoma City-based noise rock band Chat Pile. Since Chat Pile released their debut full-length, God’s Country, this summer on The Flenser, and KEN Mode just put out their latest record, NULL, (via Artoffact) last week, the four hopped on a Zoom call to catch up about it all. Both bands will also be playing at the No Coast Festival in Denton, Texas next month. 
— Annie Fell, Editor-in-chief, Talkhouse Music

Jesse Matthewson: How many miles apart are we right here?

Skot Hamilton: I don’t know what it is in miles, actually. I just know what it is in drive time — I know if I start the Anthrax catalog from the beginning, where I am by the time I get to Winnipeg.

Luther Manhole: The Anthrax challenge.

Stin: A funny story about Anthrax for me is that Among the Living is the first metal album I ever heard in my entire life, and it kind of changed everything for me. But the weird aspect of that is, it’s the only album of theirs I like.

Jesse: Yeah, that’s the only one I really can dig into for some reason too. 

Stin: Dude, from wall to wall, every song that album kicks ass. But then, yeah, the rest of the discography… Thrash has a kind of problem with that, anyway, in my opinion. Like, thrash bands will have one incredible album, and then a lot of…

Luther: Unless…