Hailing from Denmark Springs LA, Cea Serin looks to be a force to be reckoned with in the overly technical world of progressive metal. This is one hell of a band with a lot of potential. Four long tracks are on this demo cd with no boring second whatsoever. Musically, Cea Serin is not interested in showing off their chops or competing for the "who's got the fastest hands in metal" frame of mind.

First song "Into the Vivid Cherishing" starts with a keyboard intro and kicks off with a very urgent sounding riff with a great lead. It's a roller coaster ride from here as they let the listener journey through a jungle of razor sharp riffs, uptempo leads, double bass drills, various vocal attacks and even a very simple but highly effective bass solo on the latter part of the song. The track alone is over 12 minutes long. J. Lamm's (vox/bass) delivery is off the rougher side of things. He sings clean with a lot of emotion and at times screeches like Dani of Cradle of Filth. Guitarist Keith Warman shines all throughout the compositions with such finesse and ease, another unsung guitar hero that needs to be acknowledged soon.

Second track "Holy Mother" features a lot of kool vocal acrobatics; atmospheric leads and hyperspeed riffs with the keys lending some added textures. Third song "Sudden Faith Pt. 1" is the heaviest of all the songs with its abrasive riffs and haunting solos. The drums are once again pounding with all the double bass runs. The song is just full of intensity and even has a harpsichord interlude. It ends with a very serene keyboard part with the sound of the waves crashing on the ocean. "Pt. 2" starts off where "Pt. 1" ends and continues with a soundtrack like keyboard intro and then a very impressive lead comes in and then closes with the keys once again. This is the best sounding demo I've ever had the chance to listen to. The overall sound is crystal clear. It only lacks some kick in the mid sounds but it doesn't really hinder the overall impact in any way. They claim that their next outing will be a conceptual piece with deeper complexities in the songwriting department. Hmmm, should be something to look forward to.

If there is any band, which needs to be signed right now, it should be this unit. I have the deepest confidence that the international metal scene will love them. This band has a clear vision of what they want to achieve and we need more bands of this kind. So if you want more info on the band, just mail J. at CeaSerin@aol.com, you can also check out their site at http://www.angelfire.com/me/ceaserin/index.html and www.mp3.com/CeaSerin.

This review is credited to:
DEATHCRAYON