Kardashev
Alunea


4.5
superb

Review

by Hawks CONTRIBUTOR (211 Reviews)
May 2nd, 2025 | 142 replies


Release Date: 04/25/2025 | Tracklist

Review Summary: "Deathgaze" sounds damn good to me.

Coining new genres in metal is a tricky situation. There was the blackgaze craze of over a decade ago with bands like Alcest and Deafheaven bursting onto the scene and having mainstream success. “Real” black metal bands/fans dismissed it initially and said it wasn’t “true”enough. That may have been true at the time but it has really taken off since its inception.

Kardashev is a band from Arizona that calls their music “deathgaze”, a mixture of proggy deathcore, ethereal shoegaze and massive post-metal buildups and climaxes. Does the term fit? Pretty much. Either way, their third album Alunea really hits the spot. The album is chock full of fantastic chuggy riffage, a soaring vocal performance and a heavenly atmosphere that draws you in from the very first second.

Deathcore and shoegaze are really 2 genres that should be nowhere near each other on paper. However, Kardashev found a way to blend them effortlessly. Alunea is a perfect flowing album. The opener really gives you a taste of what’s to come with its catchy chugs and demonic growling/shrieking combo transitioning into a haunting and hypnotic atmosphere accompanied by some soaring cleans. The whole album follows suit, flowing in and out of each genre while a blizzard of riffs and brooding reverb hits you over and over.

Despite all of the pros I’ve given the album so far, it all fails in comparison to the vocal performance. Mark Garrett is the vocalist/founder of the band and his performance on this album should win awards. His ability to combine core-ish wails, extremely guttural death growls, black metal-esque banshee shrieks and operatic singing is something to really behold. The effortless ability to transition between every style is just sublime and worth applauding a thousand times over.

Alunea is an album that really defies genre placement. When people think of deathcore, they think about sterile breakdowns and monotonous vocals. This album is the exact opposite of that. It’s progressive and it pushes the boundaries. Kardashev has made an album that is worth the coining of a new genre. At this point, deathgaze sounds damn good to me.



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user ratings (93)
3.8
excellent


Comments:Add a Comment 
Hawks
Contributing Reviewer
May 2nd 2025


104317 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5

Amazing album.

normaloctagon
Staff Reviewer
May 2nd 2025


5207 Comments


this sounds really cool, nice work

Hawks
Contributing Reviewer
May 2nd 2025


104317 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5

Thanks bro! Band rules. The previous album rips too.

Muzz79
May 2nd 2025


3553 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

This has overtaken Liminal Rite for mine. And growing

Hawks
Contributing Reviewer
May 2nd 2025


104317 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5

I also like it more than Liminal Rite!

ShapeOfJizzToCum
May 2nd 2025


1173 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5 | Sound Off

I've listened to this an absurd amount of times already.



Liminal Rite is great but this album feels a lot more dynamic to me, and just better sounding productionwise by a pretty large margin. Hope to see these guys continue on this steady growth path and hopefully keep building their fan base. They are very nice lads as well.

Hawks
Contributing Reviewer
May 2nd 2025


104317 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5

Completely agreed with that!

ShapeOfJizzToCum
May 2nd 2025


1173 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5 | Sound Off

Also as a followup to The Almanac this was pretty tasteful with the reprise/callback, not too heavy handed but some really nice moments including that intro.



I don't know if I even have highlights at this point it's such a strong consistent record that never drags, another thing it does a bit better than its predecessor.

FROM CONJECTURE MY FRAME WAS MADE. O CONSENSUS I AM!

Hawks
Contributing Reviewer
May 2nd 2025


104317 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5

I definitely gotta jam the EPs and debut as well. Band is becoming one of my go-to's recently for sure.

ShapeOfJizzToCum
May 3rd 2025


1173 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5 | Sound Off

Yeah get on Almanac especially because >it ties in directly with this and >it rules.

Hawks
Contributing Reviewer
May 3rd 2025


104317 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5

Ohhhhhh nice. Will do buddy!

ShapeOfJizzToCum
May 3rd 2025


1173 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5 | Sound Off

Alunea dag ua nai brother

Hawks
Contributing Reviewer
May 3rd 2025


104317 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5

Damn we're the only ones commenting lmao. The two of us will keep this thread alive!!!

ShapeOfJizzToCum
May 3rd 2025


1173 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5 | Sound Off

I'm listening to it right now about to fire up some Oblivion remaster. They really nailed the pacing on this, the flow from Speak Silence to We Could Fold the Star is immaculate. Also just really appreciate the amount of styles they're dipping their toes into without it becoming like. A zany wacky grab bag circus. Very tastefully executed wide spread of influences on display imo, vocalist also really flexes his range here while remaining tasteful.

Hawks
Contributing Reviewer
May 3rd 2025


104317 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5

That's why I love it so much. The flow is perfection and its progressive without being a wanky mess. They really perfected their sound here for sure.

ShapeOfJizzToCum
May 3rd 2025


1173 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5 | Sound Off

On one hand it's cool that he made up a whole ass stupid dorky language but on the other hand every time I'm like oh what's he screaming here let me look up the lyrics OH ITS JUST THE SAME GODDAMN GIBBERISH I'M ALREADY SCREAMING.

Hawks
Contributing Reviewer
May 3rd 2025


104317 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5

I honestly have never paid much attention to lyrics in extreme metal. If the music is good then I dig it lol.

Purpl3Spartan
May 3rd 2025


9462 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5

These guys locked in on this one



Nice rev

Hawks
Contributing Reviewer
May 3rd 2025


104317 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5

Yes they did! Thanks buddy. :]

Pikazilla
May 3rd 2025


32108 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

excellent album



normally djent is garbage but these guys nailed it



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