It’s an impressive feat to create a truly unique sounding metal release with today’s ease of entry and the mass saturation of every subgenre. Many artists striving for this often sacrifice listen-ability and staying power. Yet here Kardashev have crafted a sonically fluid force of creativity and emotional outpouring built with genuine substance.
Trent Bos – Heavy Blog is Heavy
All this emotional spectrum is reflected in a spectacular way in the EP; We have moments of sadness and solitary reflection, and we also have moments of fury and helplessness. The way the instruments are more concerned with creating abstract soundscapes rather than creating complicated phrases and techniques also lend themselves to creating parallels with the abstract nature of the pain of loss, a pain that often goes beyond words and is reflects or expresses itself in ways that we can only emotionally understand. “Heartache” is, in that sense, one more expression of the anger and sadness that we experience in those moments. It does not offer a musical resolution because when we are in these situations, no matter how many times we express it or want to expel it in an emotional outburst, the pain is still there, unresolved.
Alex Irías – RTMB Music
I read the lyrics to Heartache before I listened to it and I felt already a great sadness to it. As a father, I cannot imagine living a life as written. I could see there was a lot of anger written into these words – but not hatred. You can feel the pain in this album. Very inspiring work. A clear and concise flow of emotion and I am glad to have had the pleasure to listen to it.
Ryan Pankratz, Independent Reviewer
The word beautiful is not sufficient to describe the magnitude of emotions that permeate KARDASHEV’s stunning new album, The Baring of Shadows. This album really needs to be heard to be believed. Pulling together the most appealing aspects of post-rock, post-metal, blackgaze/black metal and heavy, progressive music, The Baring of Shadows is a sublime concoction of all styles and so much more.
METALMANCE
The Baring of Shadows is the latest release from Kardashev with the minds of Nico Mirolla, Mark Garrett, Alexander Aiden Rieth and Sean Lang.
Smokey and aggressive.
Album artwork by Karl E.
Recorded by Nico Mirolla.
Mixed and Mastered by Miah Lajuenesse.
Lyrics
A Frame. A Light.
Breath held by the door on
Damp-dust window sills.
Be awake!
No. I Can’t.
I Can.
The silence tells the truth.
Why did I wait?
Be awake!
No I can’t.
I can.
Grey from cinder.
Kiln-words in the fire.
“Alone”.
Across from me
An empty frame,
but light against the wall.
Your light against the wall.
Come home to me!
Come home to me!
Your light against the wall.
Your light against the wall.
Oh so long ago.
Oh so long ago.
Snow-Sleep
“Wait by the river.”
“Something has changed.
Something is different,
I know.
Where have you gone?
It’s getting dark.
Was I left behind?
You’re far away!
Where have you gone?”
Fear.
Child hardened by snow.
Given up to the cold.
“Where have you gone?
It’s getting dark.”
“Follow along the riverbed.
You’ll find her waiting there.
Breathe into your hands.”
She yields to the ground.
White breath above
A quickly waking ghost.
She knows
this is the last moon.
This is the last time she’ll lie awake
Screaming out. Asking forgiveness.
“Mother! Please come back!”
“Its her fault!”
“She did this to herself!”
Torchpassing
You can sleep in peace.
Come to me first.
Come to me first.
You’re home.
Come to me first.
Come to me first.
I know you.
There’s hope
In the empty spaces.
Speak to me
In honest answers now.
See the light behind your eyes
And you will find
Every thought you’ve lost.
Echo-songs
From far away
In the woods.
Growing still.
Growing cold.
Your lifeless body…
I won’t forget.
Patience, I’ll wait for the another night,
Gracious, I’ll wait for another fight,
First sight of snow,
Sun on the carpet,
The smell of our home,
When I was so young.
The trees won’t sing without you.
I would sit in your forest forever.
Forever.
The chanting of your leaves with me for always.
For always.
I will follow your footsteps
I will walk behind.
I will follow your footsteps.
I will forget.
Heartache
I am lost
Without your eyes on my eyes,
And the children,
They are silent,
Unable to understand
You’re dead underground.
Sleep next to me
Like you did,
And like you’ll never do again.
No strength left.
Tell me,
How am I supposed to love them on my own?
This is permanent.
I am powerless.
Perfume bottles
And and an unfinished painting.
Our house claims that you’re still here.
How could you have been
So careless?
There is no god
Who can bring you back.
The only truth
Is that our children haven’t slept for days
And we are without you.
