Science fiction nerds and space explorers alike are probably familiar with the Kardashev scale, a method of measuring a civilization’s technological prowess based on the amount of energy it is capable of harnessing from its galactic surroundings. It is rather befitting that the Soviet astronomer, Nikolai Kardashev, after whom the term was coined, has also lent his prestigious name to the Arizona-based deathgaze act, KARDASHEV. The thing is, their music is very much like the outer space itself: immensely brutal – in the void, no one can hear you scream, remember? – and intensely beautiful. Upon finding the band in 2022 along with their conceptual, sonic treatise on dementia, “Liminal Rite,” I was simply awe-struck by the sheer magnitude of its emotional scope, and it still sends shivers up my spine. So, it’s a no-brainer that the recent singles, released with the announcement of a new album to come, got me all hyped up. The news reached me sometime in early March, and the album, entitled “Alunea,” came out pretty soon after that, on April 25th, 2025, via Metal Blade Records. Still, a couple of months’ wait had not felt this long since I was a kid waiting for Christmas or the summer break from school. The initial announcement tipped us off that the new album would be a sequel to the so-called Kardashev Mythos – a set of EP releases comprised of “Progression” (2012), “Excipio” (2013), and “The Almanac” (2017). The new album continues the saga of the protagonist from the 2017 EP by plunging headfirst into philosophical examinations about responsibility, duty, and exploration into the unknown – well, y’know, to boldly go, etc…
Maybe it stems from the sci-fi themes of the lyrics, but yeah, listening to the opener, entitled “A Precipice. A Door.” feels as though the propulsion engines of a spaceship were thrusting you forward through the vast emptiness of space – especially when the post-rockish crescendo of the intro gives way to some kick-ass black-metal flourishes with blast beats and all. Then, as vocalist Mark Garrett switches from his nothing short of impressive ogre belting to his signature cherubic clean vocals, the effect is something akin to ALCEST flirting with deathgaze – atmospheric and emotional while pounding you relentlessly with brutal riffs.
Next up, the first single, “Reunion,” could very well become a fan favorite – if it isn’t already. The somewhat Cigarettes After Sex-esque, atmospheric sections nicely balance the high-octane death-metal riffs, and, like I already wrote about the song earlier upon its release, the chorus is nicely reminiscent of an old Annie Lennox hit from yesteryear. What a banger!
“Seed of the Night” was released as a single ahead of the album, too, and for a good reason. It’s one of the absolute highlights of “Alunea,” leaning slightly more to the “gaze” side of things, despite all those blast beats and whatnot. Even at their most intense, the riffs are adorned with angelic vocal harmonies, tipping the scales more toward the realm of… well, whatever it should be called when a band mixes death-metal riffs, almost Gregorian chant-like vocals, and post-rock crescendos in the same sonic bowl. Deathgaze, I presume.
While the rest of the album pretty much continues down the path laid out by the first couple of tracks, there are nice, subtle plot twists scattered here and there to keep you mesmerized throughout the whole endeavor. “Speak Silence” features GENITAL SHAME as a guest vocalist, for example. This somewhat disconcerting artistic alias belongs to Erin Dawson, whose vocal style nicely complements that of Garrett in the song. Then, “We Could Fold the Stars” features Pavel J.J. Przybysz. This gentleman, however, remains a mystery; the Internet is very taciturn about his musical legacy, and I’m not that familiar with the deathcore scene in the US. So, it’s beyond me whether we should thank him for the black-metal snarls or the guttural ogre vocals. I mean, Garrett is quite proficient in gutturals as well as cherubic cleans – and this song features plenty of both. During the most brutal passages you almost feel as if the darkness of the Universe were staring right down at you with an unblinking gaze (sic!) and, then, the next thing you know, Garrett‘s angelic wailings atop atmospheric, sonic freefall throw you straight into the ethereal bliss of Elysium, or something.
Once through the album, I’m rather confident that it will take something VERY special to overthrow this colossal deathgaze offering from the Best Metal Album of 2025 pedestal. Yeah, I know, we have barely made it to summer but did I fucking stutter? Nope. KARDASHEV‘s new album punches significant holes through the very fabric of spacetime with such force that it would have brought down the wrath of Stephen Hawking, had this endeavor been released during his lifetime. Besides, the band’s longtime fans are probably more than happy to find out how the saga continues with this new chapter, and the rest of us who tagged along for the ride much later, like me, will surely appreciate a good story, especially when it is delivered with such a haunting soundtrack!
Written by Jani Lehtinen
Tracklist
- A Precipice. A Door.
- Reunion
- Seed of the Night
- Speak Silence
- Truth to Form
- Edge of Forever
- We Could Fold the Stars
- Below Sun & Soil
Lineup
Mark Garrett – vocals
Nico Mirolla – guitars
Alex Rieth – bass
Sean Lang – drums
Label
Metal Blade Records
