DEREV - Troubled Mind
DEREV
Album: Troubled Mind
Genre: Heavy Progrock / Progmetal
Release Date: March 26th, 2025
Country: Canada
Label: Self-Released
Band Links: WEBSITE / BANDCAMP / TWITTER / INSTAGRAM / FACEBOOK
Canadian proggers DEREV already caught my attention with their awesome EP "Leap of Faith" in 2021, so I was excited earlier this year to hear new music from their feather. And since their songs tend to stick in my head recently, this feels like the right album to go back to some writing after my festival-related break.
"Troubled Mind" is Derev's full-length debut, on which they take a deep dive into the intricacies of the human psyche, addressing a spectrum of mental health issues with each track. The amazing cover artwork shows a complex maze, symbolizing the endless stream of our thoughts. Mirrored from top to bottom, one can spot two characters representing the duality of mind - the conscious and subconscious. Despite the chaotic details, the outline as a whole looks like a tree, which is also connected to the band's name ("Derev” is an Armenian word for leaf).
Music-wise, it's great to hear how much they evolved since their already strong, first release. Their atmospheric guitar sound gives me some King Buffalo vibes at the beginning, but they go way further down the Progressive path in their song-writing and arrangements throughout the whole record. Whether hard rocking riffs, soaring soundscapes, or mesmerizing solos, they got you covered all along the way.
With diverse, intricate rhythm patterns and marvelous bass-lines, they build their songs on a groovy, dense basis. By weaving in atmospheric synth layers, beautiful string parts, or playful, jazzy moments, things stay varied, but always serving the songs' mood, from melancholic and thoughtful to uplifting. Singer Adel Saflou has a remarkable voice, carrying us through the different themes in an expressive way.
"Troubled Mind" is an intense album, taking its listeners on a captivating, emotional ride. The music flows flawlessly from the first to the last second, and while they play with different, stylistic elements in between, everything goes perfectly together. Highly recommended to dive into Derev's musical maze, there's a lot to discover.
Written by Katha
Track-List:
1. Buried Voice
2. Cyclone
3. Crawl Space
4. Room 9
5. Paracusia
6. Tides of Time
7. Darker Self
8. Trace Within
Line-Up:
Adel Saflou - Vocals
Armando Bablanian - Guitar
Michel Karakach - Drums
Stan Komarovsky - Bass
Ran Zehavi - Keys