Four years ago, I reviewed Derev's debut EP Leap Of Faith (2021, see review) and this "Canadian" prog rock metal band surprised me with their six songs that reminded me of Riverside, Opeth and Haken. Troubled Mind is Derev's second album, and the best part of this album is certainly their ability to carry strong emotions into their music, as Derev dive deep into the intricacies of the human mind. This new album contains eight songs and musically the band builds on their music which you could hear on their previous album, meaning a mix of mellow and rather cool tracks with intense heavy neck breaking stuff. Troubled Mind opens with the longest song of the album called Buried Voice, which is a powerful progressive rock song that leaves not much to be desired indeed, as the highlight is a dark, almost haunting, second to none guitar solo. Follow up Cyclone also features a great guitar solo, but this one is far more melodic, while the vocal harmonies are very prominent in this song. Room 9 is definitely the heaviest song of the entire album, while Trace Within (featuring guest vocal by Hiske Oosterwijk of Perfect Storm) is probably the "simplest" track of Troubled Mind, as it is rather mellow, featuring lots of keyboard chords and even electronic beats. Darker Self kicks off with a headbanging hook and at the end of the song Armando Bablanian delivers a 100% killer guitar solo. Conclusion: Troubled Mind is a great album as Derev redefine what rock music can and should be. Listening tip: Darker Self !! ***+ Martien Koolen (edited by Tracy van Os van den Abeelen) Where to buy? |
