MASSETI – Odds and Ends

Masseti is the ambitious, brand new project by progressive metal innovator Tiago Masseti. Born and raised in the south of Brazil, Masseti became a little fish in a big pond when he moved to the U.S. after his former creative outlet, Daydream XI, was handpicked by Mike Portnoy to perform at the Progressive Nation at Sea cruise in 2014. When all was going so well, he suddenly hit a major low when the COVID-19 pandemic left him isolated with little money and contemplating the next step of his musical journey. Now based in New York City, Masseti decided to stretch his horizons and forge a new path with a band that’s easy to remember because the group’s name is simply his last name. But, don’t worry, no Bon Jovi references in this progressive extravaganza!

Masseti’s debut album, Odds and Ends (2025), begins with the unapologetic, “Serpents and Whores.” Progressive metal is a tricky genre to categorize because there are different musical influences that shape the genre’s sound. The aforementioned song has bits of symphonic metal, thrash metal, doom metal, and orchestral metal; if that even is a thing? Masseti proves he’s not afraid to combine different textures, ideas, and time signatures together to create a sound that suits his artistry. Lyrically and musically, “Against Our Fire” is anthemic and powerful. The luscious orchestration adds depth to the story of coming out strong in the face of adversity.

Forging a New Creative Path

“The Singer in the Arms of Winter” is straight-up doom metal, with a ferocious and murky groove, accentuated by a wicked bass line. The guitar playing on the whole album is dirty and vicious, but the goosebump-worthy guitar solo by Renato Osorio speaks on a stratospheric new level that’s impossible to deny. “Heir of the Survivor” closes the album in a grand and cinematic bang. It’s a full circle moment that once again combines different textures to define Masseti’s artistry. Lyrically, the song reflects on the true meaning of survival, remembering the battle scars, while persevering towards the next chapter in life.

While there’s enough to like about Odds and Ends, there’s also enough to dislike about the record. First of all, the drums sound horrible! For example, “The Pool of Liquid Dreams” sounds like a power struggle between the drums and lead vocals, which is kinda funny because Tiago does both the drums and lead vocals on the album, so essentially, he’s fighting with himself. Think of a million fireworks going off at the same time, enough to convince the mayor to ban them for life. On the opposite end of the spectrum, the two shortest songs on the album, “Gone” and “Hindrance,” don’t live up to their musical potential and are missing an epic closure that’s present on their neighboring tracks. It’s a shame because the piano instrumentation on “Hindrance” is gorgeous.

Final Assessment

Overall, Odds and Ends is a decent start to Tiago’s new creative outlet. For any musician, it’s inspiring when they’re willing to go the distance and let their creativity flow. Especially for progressive metal, nothing is perfect, it’s just a matter of determining which ideas work well together and which ones should be downgraded next time. If interested, give Masseti’s Odds and Ends a chance!

Album Tracklist

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

Band Lineup

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”