{"id":790812,"date":"2026-10-03T15:56:10","date_gmt":"2026-10-03T15:56:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/790812\/"},"modified":"2026-10-03T15:56:10","modified_gmt":"2026-10-03T15:56:10","slug":"review-temic-ceiba-the-progressive-subway","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/790812\/","title":{"rendered":"Review: Temic – Ceiba – The Progressive Subway"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n\"\"Album art by: Hicham Hamzi<\/a><\/p>\n

Style: Progressive metal (clean vocals)
Recommended for fans of: Dream Theater<\/a>, Leprous<\/a>, Devin Townsend<\/a>, Haken<\/a>, Frost*<\/a>
Country: International
Release date: 2 October 2026<\/p>\n

A well-received debut is surely a wonderful feeling, but it leaves a band with a lot to lose. Having put your best foot forward, there\u2019s always a risk of stumbling on the follow-up. \u2018Sophomore slump\u2019 will be a familiar term, and it\u2019s not one we\u2019ll be using today. The second release from prog \u2018supergroup\u2019 Temic\u2014a band that pulls members from such heavyweights as Haken, Maraton, The Neal Morse Band, and Evergrey\u2014sees the group very much with nothing to lose despite a theme of loss suffusing Ceiba.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Truth be told, Temic\u2019s debut hasn\u2019t stuck with me as much as I might like. While \u201cThrough the Sands of Time\u201d is always a welcome surprise when my library is on shuffle, I don\u2019t revisit the full album that much, and my initial listen to sophomore release Ceiba clarified why rather quickly. For all its strength, Terror Management Theory felt like a \u2018getting to know ourselves\u2019 record, a showcase of catchy prog metal fun. Ceiba feels more like a mission statement. Where the debut played it safe, Ceiba dares to push further into complex song structures and ambitious compositional ideas while still retaining the catchiness of the debut.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

\u201cAshes\u201d and \u201cBeyond the Voice\u201d open the album with vitality and swagger, the former on explosive form with a catchy hook and some brotherly shred from keyboardist Diego Tejeida and guitarist Eric Gillette, the latter opting for a more epic tenor, allowing vocalist Fredrik Klemp to flex his vocal muscles. Meanwhile, \u201cSee Myself\u201d injects a heavier vibe redolent of later Symphony X with its gritty vocal filtering and extended shred section, though the standard Temic pop hook is a little at odds with the overall vibe. Proggier sojourns pepper Ceiba and provide some of the record\u2019s best moments. \u201cCeased to Be\u201d sees Klemp channeling a bit of Einar Solberg with his rich delivery, some top-tier drumming from Simen Sandnes who takes complete command of the kit, and great synth accenting from Tejeida. \u201cCasting Stone\u201d feels like the most credentialled prog track of the record, centering a shreddy main riff, veering into some of the djenty dubstep sound that Tejeida\u2019s known for, and, after a plethora of virtuosic soloing from the two lead instrumentalists, resolving in one of the record\u2019s most rewarding crescendos.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Ceiba\u2019s highlight, however, is later cut, \u201cAlone\u201d. Opening with an unexpected lead performance from Gillette who duets and harmonises with Klemp throughout, his contrasting timbre proves a welcome addition. The lyrics strikes a relatable tone on feeling a sense of total isolation from the world around you, but also touches on a more optimistic note in its quiet coda, which comes after a frankly brilliant melodic solo from Gillette which is backed by choir and bells for a symphonic feel. \u201cAs Long As We Last\u201d provides the grand finale feel, skirting a little close to cliche with its la-dee-da motif, but pulling off the trick by being flawlessly composed and paced.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Nevertheless, at sixty-six minutes, Ceiba feels bloated; a tight fifty minutes would serve the record well. Aside from the largely pointless scene-setting intro track \u201cAsunder\u201d, other lesser moments include the self-consciously sincere \u201cParting the Waves Inside\u201d which proves largely forgettable aside from its Frost*-esque synthy solo section, and \u201cThe Night Veil\u201d which provides a second stripped back piano and vocals affair which says little that wasn\u2019t already covered by \u201cBroken\u201d earlier in the album. In a few places, Temic fall on the wrong side of self-indulgence, stretching build-ups a little long or adding codas that feel tacked on (\u201cAlone\u201d). These are small quibbles, because Ceiba is largely triumphant, and pushes the band\u2019s composition into new leagues, but there are still some notes in the margins to be addressed.<\/p>\n

On a record centred around a theme of loss, Temic show they have nothing to lose, and yet could stand to lose some bloat from a record that tries to cram too much into a tight package. Ceiba sees Temic deliver some of their most accomplished work yet, but its relative self-seriousness compared to the playfulness of their debut proves to be a detriment. Nevertheless, the pedigree of the players remains undeniable, as does the quality of the music on offer. With the sophomore slump successfully avoided, Temic\u2019s star will continue to rise.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Recommended tracks: Ceased to Be, Casting Stone, Alone
You may also like: Ihlo<\/a>, Cold Night for Alligators<\/a>, Rendezvous Point<\/a>
Final verdict: 7.5\/10<\/p>\n

Related links: Bandcamp<\/a> | Facebook<\/a> | Instagram<\/a><\/p>\n

Label: Season of Mist<\/a> <\/p>\n

Temic is:
\u2013 Fredrik Klemp (vocals)
\u2013 Eric Gillette (guitars, backing vocals)
\u2013 Diego Tejeida (keyboards, sound design)
\u2013 Simen Sandnes (drums)
\u2013 Miguel Pereira (bass)<\/p>\n

\n\tRelated\n<\/p>\n