Cea Serin - The WOrld Outside - Progressive Voyages Review PV049
In the maze-like world of progressive rock genres, there is one among them that usually fails to impress me more often than not. Progressive metal is extremely hard to write and perform in a way that makes it 1) true to what progressive music is, and 2) makes it unique within its genre. Now, don’t misunderstand me…. I like prog metal very much. But I LOVE very little of it. It takes something super, and I mean SUPER…. special to get me to sit up and REALLY take notice of a progressive metal record.
I have found that “something special”.
Releasing on September 12, 2025 (after an all-too lengthy eleven-year wait!), and comprising not one, not two, not even three, four or five…. But SIX epic-length compositions, Louisiana-based Cea Serin’s ‘The World Outside’ (expertly performed by band members Jay Lamm and Rory Faciane, with an entire legion of guest artists) is a wholly original, moving and inspiring mix of metal and progressive rock that transcends any metal album I have ever heard. It is a rare thing indeed to listen to compositions that are true metal, complete with harsh, growl-like vocals, and yet are also simultaneously imbued with real progressive rock attributes that are hardly, if ever, found in metal songs. But Cea Serin does it. And does it. And does it again.
Now, usually, I would do a track-by-track analysis of the record, but, given the sheer amount of twists, turns and changes from and within each epic length song, that would be like trying to row a canoe upstream with one-paddle on a wild Colorado river rapid with a thunderstorm pouring down on you…. a neigh on impossible exercise in futility. I think that with this album, giving a general overview is the best and most effective way to give you, dear reader, an idea of what the record is about without over-verbally confusing the hell out of you with the truly insane and uncountable number of excellent shifts and changes this record has on offer.
So…. Join me, won’t you? Let’s follow where none shall, find the light that shines, and listen to the wisdom of the aging fathers as we discuss this new album and why it will be a “must-have” in the 2025 progressive metal scene.
From the album’s opener, ‘Where None Shall Follow’ onward and through EVERY track up to and including ‘The Wisdom of the Aging Fathers: Three Regards to Reason’, the listener’s journey through this record is loaded to the brim with heavy, and I MEAN HEAVY, fusillades of notes and rhythmic bombast that tears and rips at your soul. Classic double-bass work throughout anchors the beats over screaming, thrashing pounding and majestic guitar work and harsh (but not deep-growl) vocals that frequently give way to beautifully performed melodic choruses and bridges. So, as a metal album, this record hits all of the right strides in those regards. Any metal lover could stop right there and be perfectly content with this release based on those qualities alone.
But that is not the true genius of this album. The record’s strongest attribute, as it relates to the progressive rock world, is to actually put other progressive rock elements…. MANY of them…. into the mix, and to do so in a way that serves to strengthen the songs and make them more varied and more adventurous to listen to, as opposed to trying to cram parts that just “do not belong” into a track in an attempt to make the album more progressive. Doing this successfully, dear friends, is the KEY and DEFINING difference in a good prog metal album and a phenomenal prog metal album.
In this realm, Cea Serin scores a 10 out of 10. They are one of the best progressive metal bands I have EVER had the pleasure of listening to when it comes to crafting their compositions in such a way that the straight, non-metal progressive rock elements that they use within their metal structure work splendidly. And they do so here: from a use of orchestral backing sounds and synths that would be at home on almost any neo-prog rock record on most tracks on the album, to the inclusion of a host of other notable influences that leave their mark on the record without being derivative of those influences. Apart from prog metal, there are distinct nods and homages to neo-prog, classic prog, shades and ghosts of the older metal prog pioneers, 80’s glam rock, and even, at brief moments, avant-garde prog. You’d think a successful amalgamation of this sort would be impossible to achieve, and I would not blame you if you did, but Cea Serin pulls it off, and in mighty fashion.
This album is, front-to-back, an extraordinary listening experience. A myriad of influences can be gleaned within (Death, Dream Theater, Voivod, Periphery, and Haken, just to name a very few) but none of the tracks are echoic of these…. this album, every track and every note, is distinctly Cea Serin. They have accomplished something quite rare in prog metal: they have masterfully crafted an album that is at once distinctly accessible progressive metal, with the perfect inclusion of elements of other progressive genres, that is also ENTIRELY original. An amazing feat, if ever there was one, and in my opinion, if you are in any way a progressive metal fan, this is an ESSENTIAL release for 2025; a must-own in your progressive collection.
Hi-light tracks: ‘The Rose on the Ruin’; ‘When the Wretched and the Brave Align’; ‘Wisdom of the Aging Fathers: Three Regards to Reason’.
For more information about the band, check out their website at ceaserin.com.
To pre-order the new album, visit http://www.generation-prog.com