Kardashev

The Baring of Shadows

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Genre: Progressive Death Metal.
Released: 07/05/2021
Via Metal Blade Records

Album Review: Kardashev – The Baring of Shadows

Kardashev has generated quite a lot of hype around their new EP ‘The Baring of Shadows’. Their only single to be released for the record, titled ‘Snow-Sleep’, has already amassed over 130 thousand streams on Spotify alone. I cannot wait to see what all the noise is about so without further adieu, here are my thoughts on Kardashev’s ‘The Baring of Shadows’.

Progressive death metal is always an unusual experience. The mellows mixed with sheer aggression makes for a dynamic mix. ‘A Frame. A Light’ is a shining example of just how well these two contrasting styles can blend to make something truly unique. The nearly 8-minute song manages to keep you focused and engaged with its content throughout. It’s rare for this to happen but I think the first track may be my favourite of the bunch!

Up next is the single from the record titled ‘Snow-Sleep’. The song features some rather impressive phrases from both Nico Mirolla on guitar and Sean Lang on drums. Not to mention just how impactful Mark Garrett’s ear-piercing vocals are. This song is truly unlike anything I’ve come across, and it was a pleasant surprise. I highly recommend checking this one out if you into more technical music.

‘Torchpassing’ is the penultimate song on the record and I feel that as impressive as the song is from a technical standpoint, It’s just not for me. I found the song a little cluttered and at time’s it felt like it was contrasting with itself way too much. Maybe I’m not the right demographic for this track so who knows.

On the other hand, I fully enjoyed ‘Heartache’. In particular, I thought the heavy sections of this track were incredible. The band seems to excel at the more aggressive style and I’d be interested in seeing what a song would be like if it was just a sheer assault of noise like you’d find on most death metal albums.

Kardashev is certainly unlike anything I’ve experienced personally. Their truly unique blend of prog and death metal threw me through a loop on the first impression, but over time their style grew on me and left me captivated while listening to them. I’m going to keep a close eye on these guys and I suggest you do the same! Also, If your a fan of instrumental music, the band have added the instrumental of each track to the EP which I thought was a really nice touch.