Cea Serin - 2025 - The World Outside

(69:00, Generation Prog)

It has been way too long since the last Cea Serin album, 2014’s ‘The Vibrant Sound of Bliss and Decay’, which in itself took 10 years from the debut, but at long last they are back with the third. Founder Jay Lamm (vocals, rhythm guitars, bass, keyboards, piano) and drummer Rory Faciane, who was also on the last album, are both here but I note co-founder  guitarist Keith Warman is not. Instead we have a host of guest musicians in the guise of Andy Gillion (solo, ex-Mors Principium Est), Dann Hoyos (Rise to Fall), Vick LeCar (solo artist), Steve Blaze (Lillian Axe), Steffi Cannelli (Cirque du Soleil), João Miguel (solo, Enblood, Adamantine), Manuel Acevedo (SAUDA), Cecillia Cuccolini, and Coen Strouken (Circus of Fools, Eluveitie), while the album was mixed and mastered by Tom MacLean (Haken, To-Mera).

Historically the band have discussed their love of Carcass and Cradle of Filth, and there is no doubt that their style of prog metal is at the more extreme end, with blistering riffs and plenty of attack which will make the metalheads very happy indeed, yet there is also a huge use of dynamics which means we may get fretless bass to the fore here, delicate piano there, harsh vocals over there, or just a blast out, or gentleness. It is this sweeping wave of sounds and approaches which makes this such an interesting album to listen to as it can be more extreme than Dream Theater, Devin Townsend or Opeth and become a shredder’s paradise, yet at times be gentle and almost sanguine in its approach.

Given the length of time between the first two albums I said in my last review that I was hoping, “there is more to come as I would certainly like to hear it.”. I am indeed glad to have heard this, and we can only hope that the guys knuckle down and produce the next release a little more quickly! 

Kev Rowland, January 2026

Links:
https://www.ceaserin.com/
http://www.generation-prog.com/