Interviews About Albums: Bob Saliba - Hosts Of A Vanished World (2024)

In this new interview, we sat down with the French Melodic Power Metal/Progressive Folk Metal/Hard Rock artist Bob Saliba to ask questions about his album, "Hosts Of A Vanished World".

1. What can you say about this new EP/CD?

The real interest is in being able to share music without barriers of style or approach, that can break out of the true heavy, power, or prog frameworks of other bands or projects, it's a mix of all that. I think in terms of color it's the richest thing I can offer. You'll even find folk instruments like bouzouki, saz, or lyre...

2. What is the meaning of the EP/CD name?

Hosts of a Vanished World refers to the extinction of species and it is the title of a scientific book written by Stephen Jay Gould on the Cambrian Explosion and all its magnificent forms of primitive life, mainly arthropods on the plan animal, for which we only have to make do with fossils, like the dinosaurs that appeared much later. It also invites us to reflect on the fact that we too could be hosts to a world on the verge of disappearing.

3. Which one is the composer of the CD/EP?

I compose and write everything. John Macaluso performed and arranged the drums, Tom Abrigan and Bruno Pradels were responsible for arranging certain tracks and Bruno also did orchestrations

4. If you have to pick one song, which one would you pick?

I can't answer you, they all have their own personalities and complement each other quite well

5. Is there a special message in this EP/CD? If there is what is it?

it would be to love nature, Since my childhood, I have spent a lot of time with my brother cleaning up other people's messes, at the urging of my parents, and cleaning up the woods around my house. Polluters should be punished much more harshly... Every year we did it again, and the polluters came back.

Also not to systematically kill an animal out of simple fear, I got into the habit of saving bees, spiders, wasps, and even scorpions by hand. You obviously shouldn't do it when you're not used to it or when you don't know how to do it.

But an animal that is not aggressive and does not feel threatened has no reason to put itself in danger by being hostile towards humans. More generally, I took advantage of retracing the life of a scientist to convey several messages: the most obvious has an ecological character, but it is also an invitation to the initiatory journey of life: to reveal oneself to oneself; follow your passions, achieve your dreams and what we have sacrificed for years, question our condition, the divine; rebel against sometimes dark destiny, transmit knowledge and experience when it is time... It is an initiatory journey.

6. Are there some lyrics that you´d love to share?

If I had to share a short passage right now, it would be this:

I Believe That I Have To Go, There Is Something Calling On Me There’s A Path I Have To Follow, Will You Ever Understand Me? the lyrics are explicit: be yourself at any cost!

7. Which inspirations have been important for this album? Like musically or friends, family, someone you'd love to thank especially?

I am very close to my family while being a loner I must admit. So it’s a mix of many elements. I have always needed to create my own universe, like I think a lot of people do because we have to accept rules and a reality that is not necessarily to our liking. Creating is therefore for me an essential escape and I need to express this form of imagination. Regarding my friends, you can consider that most of the musicians on this record are also first and foremost friends, and I wanted this record to have a very open character by involving all these talents. This compensates for the fact that this solo project is obviously my baby and that everything germinated in my head

8. Something to add?

Looking forward to meeting you live or on social networks! I hope my music evokes something positive in you!