Metal/Review BRAINMAZE - When your demons come

Under the stage name BRAINMAZE, Bulgarian musician Ivan Shishkov's fierce and soul-baring debut metal album is titled “When your demons come.” This album, which took ten years to produce, is a cathartic encounter with our inner demons rather than merely a compilation of songs.

The album is filled with raw, visceral energy and was mostly composed on bass guitar, which is Shiskov's preferred instrument. It is a very intimate album that was created in the stillness of the night after years of creative perseverance, experimentation, and self-examination. The end effect is a unified, forceful soundscape that dives deeply into themes of loneliness, terror, and emotional reflection. The record embraces darkness with a sort of defiant clarity, rather than merely flirting with it.

Even though “When your demons come” was a largely solo project—Shishkov wrote the lyrics, concept, photography, and design—it has international partners that enhance the music with strong performances and inventive arrangements. The album's edge—heavy yet subtle, harsh yet meticulously composed—comes from this collective energy and Shishkov's unique vision.

Each piece reflects the experience of facing one's own problems in quiet, without pretense, from the angular riffs to the eerie melodic breaks. A sound cleansing of hidden pain, it is uncompromising and intense.

“When your demons come” is more than simply an album; it's a publicized personal exorcism and a demonstration of what can be accomplished with perseverance, passion, and unwavering creative determination. A remarkable beginning for a unique new metal voice.