MASSETI – Odds And Ends (Album Review)

One of the most persistent myths tied to progressive metal is the notion that a truly unique expression of the subgenre necessarily comes at the expense of accessibility. Even when considering its well known purveyors in the likes of Dream Theater and Symphony X, there is common notion that what is being conveyed is on an entirely different wavelength than what tends to appeal to the metal mainline, despite when said bands opt to hold off on the technical extravagance and longwinded compositions for something closer to what passes for terrestrial radio.

But occasionally, the elusive middle ground between high artistry and the music of the common man that typifies those moments where the progressive sound enjoys crossover appeal is achieved by a relative newcomer to the scene; in this case, the formerly Brazil-born turned Brooklyn-based multi-instrumentalist and vocal extraordinaire Tiago Masseti via the project bearing his surname.

Many items are on the menu regarding Odds And Ends, the first studio album to carry the Masseti name, but subtlety is not among them. Extensive expositional material or drawn-out overtures are forsaken in what can be dubbed a very direct yet also highly nuanced blend of virtuosic musicianship and no-nonsense metallic aggression. Tiago’s vocal approach could be likened to an intricate hybrid of the typically smooth and introspective stylings of James LaBrie and Ray Adler and the gritty snarl of Ronnie James Dio, resulting in something that one might almost mistake for Nils Patrik Johansson fronting a progressive quintet.

Likewise, his skillful command of the guitar and keyboards is responsible for much of the instrumental tapestry that surrounds his face, which could easily be likened to the seminal 90s output of Dream Theater mixed with some of the aggression heard out of Nevermore and Manticora. Other musicians are present in a session capacity to provide the highly involved rhythm section and add further technical flourishes, but this is otherwise a highly involved one-man show.

The most unique feature of this album is how it subverts expectations by first conforming to prototypical progressive metal practices before breaking with them. This is accomplished via a series of well crafted, rhythmically complex crushers in “Serpents And Whores” and “Against Our Fire” that play ups the polyrhythmic and odd time signature-based mayhem like it’s going out of style, paralleling the elaborate character of Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes From A Memory but amping up the heaviness factor and distilling it down to two moderately long anthems with soaring choruses.

“The Pool Of Liquid Dreams” arguably takes the technical showmanship a step further and throws all the same tricks up against the wall at a faster tempo and in just over 4 minutes, rediscovering the concept of a progressive banger entry. In most respects, what makes these songs truly unique isn’t any peculiar stylistic quirk, but just how seamlessly these musical elements that normally accompany a more subdued vocal performance work with Masseti’s highly bombastic voice.

This prototypical formula of mixing things up musically while still holding on to a strong level of melodic coherence is recapped towards the end of the album in two highly complex epic entries dubbed “Never Be Like You” and grand hurrah “Heir Of The Survivor”, veering the closest to pure virtuosic insanity with the latter featuring Masseti himself throwing out some shredding guitar work to rival John Petrucci. That being said, where things get truly interesting is when Masseti opts to pull back on the complexity for a more straightforward approach.

This primarily manifests in a duo of ballad entries in “Gone” and “Hindrance” that evoke emotions of introspection and melancholy that, while not alien to the progressive metal format, are presented in a plainer fashion with Tiago’s voice leading things along. But the song that truly breaks the mold is the down-tempo, old school heavy metal ode “The Singer In The Arms Of Winter”, which channels both the musical and vocal spirit of Dio so authentically that it could pass for something that said icon might have recorded in the past 15 years following his passing.

Though by no means a stranger to the metal scene in general or the progressive one in particular, Masseti displays such a concentrated dose of youthful exuberance and free thought in how his solo debut album is put together that it just feels like a triumphant new voice has broken through the established order. Odds And Ends is the sort of album that may still fall short of being the best progressive metal album of 2025, but it will undoubtedly force the eventual winner to work for it all the harder should that prove to be the case when December comes calling.

Anyone with any level of appreciation for what the subgenre has been since the early 90s would be foolish to pass this up, though the level of crossover appeal present on this 45-minute musical manifesto is sure to find a receptive audience in the power and traditional heavy metal crowd as well. The name might suggest a collection of leftovers, but Odds And Ends is musically the main course from start to finish.

Release Date: June 20th, 2025
Record Label: Independent
Genre: Progressive Metal

Musicians:

• Tiago Masseti / All instruments and lead vocals, except where noted
• Benhur Lima / Bass guitar
• Pinheiro Machado / Guitar solo on “Gone”
• Renato Osorio / Guitar duet with Tiago Masseti on “Gone,” guitar solo on “The Singer in the Arms of Winter”
• Marcelo Pereira / Guitar solo on “Never Be Like You”
• Cezar Tortorelli / Orchestrations on “Against Our Fire”
• Fabio Caldeira / Orchestrations and pianos on “Hindrance”

Odds And Ends Track-list:

1. Serpents and Whores
2. Against Our Fire
3. The Pool of Liquid Dreams
4. Gone
5. The Singer in the Arms of Winter
6. Never Be Like You
7. Hindrance
8. Heir of the Survivor

Listen to Odds And Ends here