New album, “Ceased To Be”, out on July 28th!
From the moment they joined forces, TEMIC appeared as a dream come true for progressive fans everywhere. The international super group features current and former members of Devin Townsend, Mike Portnoy’s Shattered Fortress, Neal Morse Band, Haken, Shining, Maraton and Big City. The group’s chart-topping debut lived up to the hype, but on their upcoming new album, Ceiba, they’ve grown by leaps and bounds.
“Ceiba is a concept album about loss in all its various forms”, TEMIC says. “While more progressive than our first album, the songs are driven by honesty and emotions. ‘Ceased to Be’ is told from the perspective of someone who’s dying, while surrounded by their loved ones. Death is not feared nor resisted. Rather, it is observed as a sacred rite of passage”.
Much like TEMIC’s first full-length statement, Ceiba can be traced back to theories around mortality. In Mayan culture, the titular tree is considered an axis mundi and held sacred for how it connects the earth with heaven and the underworld. As with the album’s striking cover art, “Ceased to Be” is cracked open by guitarist Eric Gillette’s booming riffs and an electronic soundscape that rumbles like ominous clouds on the horizon.
“I have experienced lots of personal losses, along with everyone else”, keyboardist Diego Tejeida says. “Though we don’t often talk about them with each other, loss is so universal that it will always be a natural part of our lives, like a tree”.
Indeed, Ceiba treats loss not as an end but as one more step along life’s path. “The blood will testify: Your soul will never die”, vocalist Fredrik Klemp sings with conviction amidst the endlessly rewarding chorus of “Ceased to Be”. No matter how deep the album digs into philosophical terrain, TEMIC continue to branch out in all directions – both literally and figuratively. Newest member and fleet-fingered bassist Miguel Pereira locks in with drummer Simen Sandnes despite a multitude of tricky tempo shifts, leading into the song’s dramatic finale, which is graced by triumphant keys and a transcendent guitar solo.
“We wrote this album together with contributions from all five members”, TEMIC says. “We allowed ourselves to explore the songs and really extend ourselves while always keeping the emotions at the front of our minds”.
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