KARDASHEV is a Progressive Death Metal band focusing on themes of technology, selflessness, love, and altruism. Newly signed to Metal Blade Records, KARDASHEV is heading the charge toward solidifying the sound of "Deathgaze.” From their website, the eight sonically and lyrically immersive songs on the “Alunea” album have set yet another high-water mark for the dynamic lineup. Known as the progenitors of the “Deathgaze” genre, that descriptor is evolving as Kardashev continually explores and pushes boundaries. Guitarist Mirolla goes on to say, “we’re coming closer to Progressive Death Metal, with leanings in the gaze only momentarily. “Alunea” has much more experimentation when compared to previous releases. It’s a very proggy album.”

The album has eight songs, and “A Precipice. A Door.” Is first. The door begs you to open it, and when you do, you are struck with a face full of vibrant colors. By contrast, the vocals have a nasty bite to them, and the marks of the two opposing styles seems to have grown since the last album. Some of the melodic moments are nothing short of breathtaking. “Reunion” features another kaleidoscope of neon colors but here is where the Progressive Death Metal elements come full circle. I would even add a healthy helping of Tech Death. The transitions to gentler sounds are sharp and done without warning, but they work brilliantly as a cohesive whole.

“Seed of the Night” has soft opening tones and clean vocals that combine with a firm bed of aggressive riffs. The harsh vocals cut through the tapestry like a razor-sharp knife, but the melody remains steadfast. “Speak Silence” presents a palate of palate of melodies that are bright and sharp, with clean vocals and catchy guitar riffs. Although the song has a somber quality, the weight of the bottom end, heavy and dark, supports that sound. Even the harsh vocals, which are filthy and nasty, fit right into the song. “Truth to Form” has a combination of gutturals and screams within a landscape that is deep with emotion. Their aggressiveness is like a massive body of water that is held back by a dam…if you crack the door, it will come rushing through, but they control the flow. The vocal harmonies are beautiful.

“Edge of Forever” explores the other side of the genre…the one that comes from the bowels of the earth. It is dark, heavy, and slow moving, like a beast waking up from his extended slumber. There is just enough melody for the song not to teeter over the edge and fall into that abyss. “We Could Fold the Stars” has a nasty, contentious bite. Out of the muck, however, comes clean vocal harmonies that pass by you on a breeze that is gentle, warm, and inviting. That deep contrast I talked about is perhaps best displayed here. “Below Sun & Soil” closes the album. It has a soft entrance that hardens quickly like poured concrete, and there is an exchange between angry, raging Death vocals and soothing cleans that rocks the landscape like an earthquake.

The album is a study of contrast…a specter, a feeling, an unraveling of self through walls of distortion and funereal atmosphere. It does not merely belong to this realm; it defines it. The melodies, no matter how grand, seem eroded, stripped of warmth and suspended in a space that offers no return. It is weighted, ghostly, and drowning in a haze of reverb that stretches beyond the horizon. If shoegaze is often about staring at the floor in melancholic reverie, deathgaze is about gazing into the void and realizing it is staring back. It’s an exploration of dissolution, a sound that haunts rather than soothes…an essential listen for those willing to step beyond the veil.