Track By Tracks: Bob Saliba - Hosts Of A Vanished World (2024)

1. Introspection:

The first song is a fairly complete piece, ranging from arpeggios to big riffs and melodic, harmonizing guitars. There’s part of the riff written by Tom Abrigan, he arranged some nice ones on the record. I had composed these harmonized guitars a long time ago, in homage to the feeling I had walking one summer night with my friends, contemplating the lights of the megalopolis below. The catchy chorus refers to a call from afar, urging you to follow your own path. Finally, the fade-out outro with its harmonic guitars is a reminder of this gradual departure into another universe. The guitar solo is, in my opinion, the best I've been able to produce on this record. This song is quite complete and representative of what can be found on the album Excavations: a more straightforward track, with a few folk elements reinforced by the arrival of Nicolas Leceux, saz player, and a chorus that sticks in the mind, I played the Arabian intro riff in octave and using slides, a way to accentuate this oriental effect.

2. Visions:

A track that starts off classically heavy and sinful, but reveals its atmospheric side on the full-lengths, with arpeggios that carry the vocals. As the minutes go by, the track reveals a more progressive side, and I composed the acoustic part between the 2 solos separately, incorporating it afterwards because it went so well with the track. The 1st solo is played by Ricky Marx and is so amazing, and I took charge of the second.

3. Crystal Castle:

It's the power ballad of the album. I like writing this type of track, it's a special exercise. The arpeggios are solemn, but the choruses are sinful and very melodic. John confessed to me that it's his favorite track for its choruses alone. I thought of my guitar solo as a progression, ending on the last chorus. Finally, the tension drops at the end of the track to give way to a very atmospheric outro, and I took great pleasure in recording these last vocal lines, which weren't written in the first place.

3. Entroy: 

It's often people's favorite, probably because it starts straight away without any frills with power and melody. So it ended up as a single and also as a radio edit version. Catchy chorus according to many.

4. Expectations:

Here is another title designed from the progression of arpeggios, flowing with an oriental air, well supported by all these acoustic lead guitars. I wanted to fully embrace this highly folk and melodic direction by adding bouzouki, mandolin, and saz. Alessandro's bass solo contrasts with all of this with its velocity and totally intended chaos. I end the track with a nylon guitar solo to recall the flamenco-style

5. Transposition: 

A drum intro from master John and the song starts with a riff that I love, I think it's my favorite riff on this album. There is even a funky side to the verses and among the more soaring parts of the record. Roland Grapow distills a magnificent guitar solo on this track

6. Into the Lab:

This is another title that I personally find interesting, some have difficulty understanding it, however it is a very rich title and the most complex in terms of progression compared to the others. Lots of different arpeggios follow one another to add to a riff flirting with hard FM, which I love. The choruses are effective and the rise in tone following the silence at the end of the track is a bit like fireworks. I realize that this is the only title that has benefited from this treatment but I don't think it's bad.

7. Reflections:

Totally written and played on acoustic guitar, a little bit of orchestration, and presto, a little folk ballad offering a lull before the title which I think is the heaviest of the set

8. Rivality:

A serious and serious theme materialized by heavier guitars, this sums up the personality of this title well

9. Saphire: 

After the power ballad and the folk ballad, both sung, here is the piece of instrumental music on the acoustic guitar; These are 3 exercises that I think will be repeated on my future albums, because I find them all 3 essential to my identity. I have always loved heavy bands who lend themselves to this exercise and let their acoustic guitar speak alone, with nothing around, Savatage was a master in the genre

10. To the Zenith:

This is a title with a complex structure that could be a little disturbing to people who don't like prog. The themes follow one another quite quickly on this title and some do not come back a second time. I share the singing with my friend Jo Amore whose voice has always greatly impressed me.

12. Hosts of a Vanished World:

So there, I fully embraced the prog side of my music. A track of more than 9 minutes is divided into 3 parts, the first of which is in the form of a piano-voice duet. The music of the 1st part is the only one that I did not write myself but by a friend Gilles Chemin, played here by Ludovic Favro, and the orchestral part masterfully composed by Bruno Pradels. The second part of the piece is much faster, with frenetic riffs and guitar solos where I let off some steam. Then the last part with folk guitar arpeggios and my last guest Roberto Billi and his magic flute