Yossi Sassi

Fans of Orphaned Land will find very quickly that in this venture, the path is substantially different from the band’s usual theme; it still has the key eastern elements that give that traditional flavor, but goes much farther and expands on a multitude of genres, to cover the various moods that the main concept of the album presents.”Melting Clocks” circles around the concept of a day in the life of someone; from the first rays of light to the end of the night, the album explores themes such as rush hour, routine, sunset, etc… It is crafted in a way that the end links back to the start of the album, giving the idea of a continuous sequence of days.

When the first track starts, something pops up immediately: the song main theme is based on Joe Satriani’s “Flying in a blue dream” with a very catchy chorus. Some people may find this disturbing but the expressiveness that Yossi employs shows very quickly that this is not a copycat but a real contender in the major leagues of guitar playing proficiency. It showcases an excellent display of movement between different styles and also some very interesting acceleration.

“Fields of sunrise” comes in second and displays a very strong eastern component, with some ethnical instruments and some big piano phrases. Some uplifting guitar melodies make us think that Sassi faces each day with enthusiasm.

The third track, “The Calling: rush hour”, sails us to more familiar waters; heavier chord progressions pave the way to some sad and melancholic melodies; definitely not a happy part of the conceptual journey.

As soon as “Numbers’ world” initiates, it is easy to understand that we are in the presence of the more accessible track of the album, with a very catchy chorus and a lot of hypnotic riffs. Great progression for the solo and awesome guitar tone for a very inspired lead. This is probably the song that could get edited for a radio release as it is extremely catchy. As it approaches the end, the listener is taken on an intriguing repeating phrase and some TV voices that set the tone in the beginning of the song.

Track 05 (“Melting thoughts”) starts with a great harmonics phrase and some soulful female vocals. It really illustrates the concept that the album gravitates around; nice message in the lyrics and the idea of time always present in the beat.

“Another day in the office” gets back to the heavy grinding mood that we all know and love; strong riffs and faster tempo with an 80 style beat and some intense guitar noodling. Very Tasteful wah-wah usage with emphasis on the tone shaping and not the typical rhythmic stomping, so popular among wah-wah adepts. It becomes very clear that the artist’s perspective on the whole office lifestyle is not very cheerful.

With the seventh track (“Ain’t good enough”), Sassi showcases his jazzier flavored riffage and his exquisite good taste for lead guitar. This one has some very expressive vocals and it becomes clear that he is a Dream Theater fan as he pays homage to “Metropolis pt. 1” and one of its trademark hooks.

Track 08 is another song with a strong Middle Eastern melody and a huge solo with some very good transitions from speed to slow playing; very unusual rhythm for a guitar track, that will keep this track in the listener’s mind.

“Sahara afternoon” is a more traditional fusion Blues where Yossi again graces us with his very expressive voice. Some nice short arpeggios again remind us of the extremely good taste that this artist possesses.

Track 10 “Sunset” is a slow classical guitar inspired song with some very interesting string arrangements – clearly one of the highlights of the album.

“Simple things” tries to deceive us with its title; a very weird track with haunting background voices, very melodic chorus with a nice and smooth vibrating vocal melody line. Interesting lyrics make way for a crazy solo with some of the faster moments of the album. Definitely fulfills its mission of conjuring a sunset mood.

Last but not least, the title track of the album “Melting clocks” brings back the theme of “Melting thoughts” this time in a more introspective exploration of emotions. The highlight of the album, where Yossi Sassi again showcases his excellent taste in both melody and choice of techniques.

This album really has been put together with a lot of care and attention to detail; the artwork is very inspired and is very in touch with the album concept, proving that an album is not just a collection of songs.

The production is top notch with an extraordinary mixing and amazing sound quality. This record really deserves to be played in a high quality sound system as it really contains all of the colour and detail that leaves music lovers breathless.

An excellent debut album, that solidifies Yossi Sassi as one of today’s more tasteful guitar artists.

Weblinks
Yossy Sassi: http://www.yossisassi.com/
Verycords: http://www.verycords.com/

01. Drive
02. Fields Of Sunrise
03. The Calling: Rush Hour
04. Numbers’ World
05. Melting Thoughts
06. Another Day In The Office
07. Ain’t Good Enough
08. The Routine
09. Sahara Afternoon
10. Sunset
11. Simple Things
12. Melting Clocks