Track By Tracks: Derev - Troubled Mind (2025)

About The Album Troubled Mind:

Derev’s second release, "Troubled Mind," takes a deep dive into the intricacies of the human psyche. It addresses a spectrum of mental health issues with each track, ranging from temporary mental instability to more severe conditions such as schizophrenia, cognitive immobility (a fixation on the past), and depression stemming from loss.

Derev elaborates: "While our debut album tackled broad themes like war, technology, and injustice in the world, Troubled Mind shifts focus to the personal realm. We wanted to explore and articulate various mental states, the subtle thoughts, and inner dialogues that when nurtured and fed over time, make us who we are. And while we offer some kind of resolution in a few tracks, the purpose of the album is to explore and highlight these different states of mind, rather than try to resolve them."

"Troubled Mind" promises to be an introspective journey, offering listeners a relatable experience with mental health and its struggles.

Musically, the album builds on the foundation laid in Derev’s first release, offering a diverse range of sounds from mellow, calm tracks to adrenaline-pumping heavy headbangers, while maintaining their distinctive progressive rock sound, enriched with Middle Eastern influences.

In this album, Derev elevates their sound by incorporating more prominent keyboard parts, experimenting with various time signatures, and introducing new instruments such as the Cajon, Darbuka, and electronic elements. This evolution showcases the band's innovative spirit and commitment to pushing musical boundaries.

Track By Track:

1. Buried Voice:

The album opens with “Come forth troubled brother, step outside your cell” inviting listeners to embark on this journey of self-discovery. It sheds light on our darkest faults and secrets we try to ignore, run away from, and conceal, highlighting the inevitable growth of our guilt when these truths are buried.

The chorus emphasizes the persistent voice of our subconscious, urging us to confront our fears and acknowledge our mistakes.

While the middle section showcases the struggle of the protagonist with his/her own thoughts, the song concludes with “You hold the key in your hands” reminding us that the path to true freedom and happiness lies within our own grasp.

Musically, the album opens with a powerful 7-minute track that immediately captivates listeners with its progressive rock brilliance, offering a preview of what's to come.

Initially, the song follows a traditional verse-chorus structure, but it soon transforms into an epic prog rock piece featuring a time signature change and a haunting guitar solo. An intense section follows, reflecting the protagonist's struggle.

The track concludes with a mellow uplifting segment that offers a resolution and instills hope for a brighter future.

2. Tides of Time:

This track showcases the distress of “cognitive immobility”, a mental trap that leads to an effort to recreate past incidents that one lived in the past. By doing so, the person attempts to retrieve what was left behind, leaving them stuck in a place that no longer exists in reality.

Drummer Michel Karakach shares: “Leaving my hometown in Syria at the age of 25, after having built so many wonderful friendships, memories, and experiences was a struggle I never knew I’d have to deal with until I did. Finding myself reminiscing over and over about my past life inspired me to write about it as a form of therapy. I never knew this was an actual mental diagnosis until I did some research on it.”

The song begins with a bass riff that lays the foundation of its structure, paving the way for an acoustic guitar and Cajon to come in and fill in the gaps. While this song may sound simple and straightforward for first-time listeners, the truth is far from it.

This song is filled with hidden gems and rhythmic intricacies that can only be caught by well-trained ears. It features a 7/8 time signature layered over a pulsing 4/4 backbeat, creating a mesmerizing polyrhythmic loop throughout the song.

As the song progresses from a mellow, slow vibe to an intense, epic crescendo, a standout guitar solo seamlessly ties all the elements together. It concludes with the same bass riff that opened the track, forming an endless loop that mirrors the song's central theme.

3. Cyclone:

Building on the narrative, this song revolves around the negative thoughts that plague our minds, constantly reminding us of our perceived unworthiness and shortcomings. This mental state, known as "Imposter Syndrome" makes us doubt our skills and successes, leaving us feeling unworthy, ashamed, and fearful of being exposed.

The song portrays these thoughts as an antagonist chasing and tormenting the protagonist, emphasizing their weaknesses and mistakes. The song's title reflects this artistic vision, symbolizing a relentless cyclone that only finds peace in chaos.

The song fades in with a guitar riff slowly building the tension as the bass and drums join in, creating a slow yet tension-filled atmosphere. This underlying unrest keeps the listener on edge until it is overpowered by a heartwarming guitar solo that brings a sense of reassurance, calmness, and peace. The solo concludes with a cliffhanger riff that repeats as the song fades out.

The vocal melodies are well-crafted and prominent throughout the song, leaving the listener repeating the last lines of the song “You won’t let go” over and over long after the music stops.

5. Room 9:

Reaching the midway mark of the album, this track marks the album’s peak of intensity, both musically and lyrically. Its concept revolves around Schizophrenia, one of the most severe mental illnesses. The intention behind writing this song was to illustrate the struggles of schizophrenic individuals dealing with symptoms of psychosis, hallucinations, and disorganized thoughts and actions.

The song portrays a schizophrenic patient confined in an old asylum, trapped in a perpetual state of psychosis, haunted by hallucinations and delusions. As the patient imagines a way out, he embarks on a journey of lost memories, only to find himself back in the same room, trapped forever.

Titled "Room 9," the song's name refers to the patient's room number and carries significance in Japanese culture, where the word for "nine" ("ku") sounds like the word for pain or suffering.

Musically, this is the heaviest track on the album, maintaining relentless intensity from start to finish. The 7/8 time signature adds to the sense of urgency, mirroring the protagonist's constant state of rush.

The song culminates in a powerful vocal shout, capturing the despair of being trapped in the room, followed by a headbanging guitar riff that brings the track to a dramatic close.

7. A Trace Within:

This song offers a melancholic portrayal of "Complicated Grief," a case of prolonged depression lasting years after the loss of a loved one. It paints a scene of a grieving protagonist standing before their loved one’s grave, reminiscing about their past together and sensing their presence, yearning for a sign to affirm that feeling.

Titled "A Trace Within," the song refers to the enduring bond that remains within the protagonist, a trace that continuously begs to be pursued.

On the musical side, this song offers a unique taste of Derev’s evolving sound. Unlike the more musically intricate tracks, this piece is relatively simple, yet reveals a different side of the band.

It begins with basic keyboard chords, soon joined by vocals and guitars to complete the soundscape. Notably, this song marks the band’s first attempt at using electronic beats, diverging from their traditional acoustic roots.

The song maintains a mellow heartrending feel that translates the protagonist's emotions through a mesmerizing guitar solo, as the song ends with the instruments out of the picture, leaving the singer with the words “To ease the pain, I call your name, come back again”.

8. Darker Self:

Closing the album on a high note, this song talks about embracing our true selves. Specifically, we suppress the instinctual, animalistic side in an attempt to please others. Ignoring the value that this side of us brings in dire times, renders us weak, fragile, and miserable.

Our darker self is portrayed as a beast in hibernation, the lyrics start by enticing this animal to “Rise up and shake the dust off..”. As the song progresses, we begin to understand the true value of these traits that were deemed disgraceful and learn to embrace them, rather than bury them.

This track is the perfect finale for the album, delivering a powerful message: no matter how flawed we may be, the first step towards healing is accepting every part of ourselves — our heritage, experiences, mistakes, and illnesses. Only by removing the mask we wear, can we rise above and become a better version of ourselves.

Musically, this song offers a bit of everything. The Darbuka intro is a refreshing start that is soon followed by a headbanging guitar riff. Alternating between this riff and the verses, the song creates a rich blend of Middle Eastern and heavy vibes, delivering exactly what Derev is about.

As the song comes to an end, we embark on yet another killer guitar solo followed by a haunting vocal line that leaves us begging for more.