Into the Abyss: BRAINMAZE’s “When Your Demons Come” — A Decade of Darkness Brought to Light
3 min read
From late-night studio sessions and solitary creation emerges the talents of Bulgarian musician and photographer Ivan Shishkov with his metal project BRAINMAZE, on which the long-awaited concept album WHEN YOUR DEMONS COME (2024) is released. Twenty-four hours weren’t enough: the real work began for Ivan at midnight, the still hours fueling his vision that had been refined over a decade. He wrote all the riffs on bass, scripted lyrics that cut into raw human fear and despair, and even oversaw the album’s aesthetic – the photography, the design, and the core of the album sound. Though it’s highly personal, it’s not a solitary endeavor. The response came from across the world: Great Britain and Venezuela, Argentina and Ecuador, Ukraine and the USA, providing vocals, guitars, drums, mixing, and mastering to bring Ivan’s nightmares born in the midnight to life. When Your Demons Come plunges the listener into the abyss- a journey into the self. Thematically driven by themes of isolation, fear, envy, and despair, the album exorcises these demons with an explosive combination of aggressive riffs, thunderous percussion, and dynamic arrangements. The album’s global roster of contributors transforms the album into a universal visceral experience far beyond the catharsis of a single person.
Kicking off with a disquieting, deep, bass motif – which is none other than Shishkov’s own – ‘Despair’ maintains a ghastly tone setting before blasting guttural grooves and pummeling rhythms. Ramon Martinez’s rhythm playing and German Maldonado’s lead guitar solo burst out in an emotional volcanic stream. The words of Despair explore the fear that lurks in isolation and the terror of confronting one’s own darkest reflections. The solo breaks the shackles of the verses – raw, frantic, and cathartic – reflecting the crushing weight of despair and the pathetic yearning to break free. In contrast, “Uncertainty” is a continual flow of changing time signature and layered instrumentation, mimicking the rhythm of anxiety itself. Rob Davies’s tone ranges from a low vulnerability to rebellious crescendos and bears the burden of doubt. This track sounds like the journey from confusion into fragile strength, describing the shaky steps in between surrender and strength. Songs such as “Envy,” “Spite,” and “Fear” keep the album’s tension and narrative thread alive. Envy is a track that delivers jagged riffs and snarling vocal hooks that slice like serrated edges. “Spite” surges ahead with violent tempo and percussion intensity, giving a feeling of breaking point – and perhaps initial movements of resistance. “Fear” loops back through churning bass and eerie drone before unleashing feral drum work and cathartic catharsis. On every track, the drums are a mix of human (David Mendez on acoustic drums) and programmed perfection (Fabian Carrion Troya on MIDI drums), ecology and poetry colliding with ice-cold calculation. Ilarion Ivanenko’s editing and mixing carve the sonic labyrinth with precision and violence, and Colin Davis’s mastering in the US gives the final shine – each scream, riff, and exhale is heard without concession.
BRAINMAZE’s WHEN YOUR DEMONS COME is more than a metal album; it’s a confession, a late-night mirror held up to the self, a battle waged in shadow. Ivan Shishkov has not only looked into his own abyss, but he has made of it a heavy, cathartic affirmation of creative integrity. For those enthralled by uncompromising emotion, international collaboration, and metal that speaks to the darkest recesses of the psyche, this album is a ferocious companion for the night.
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