SALIM GHAZI SAEEDI

The evolution of a self-taught guitarist to a composer of deeply experimental/Avant-Garde Music is really surprising.In ''Iconophobic'' Saaedi evokes the works of JOHN ZORN, UNIVERSE ZERO and KING CRIMSON, producing difficult, inventive, short pieces, drawing inspiration by Chamber/Orchestral Music, Jazz and R.I.O in equal doses along with a slight Eastern influence in specific moments.The basic contents appear to be the programmed orchestrations, some sound effects and loops and his omnipresent hard-edged electric guitar.The album is pretty dissonsant with no room for melodies, focusing on cinematic atmospheres and experimental tendencies.However the overall result seems often to go nowhere.The blend of jazzy, cinematic and orchestral soundscapes with some heavier guitar passages sounds chaotic, directionless and even forced with series of impressive patterns ending up to create a total mess.The heavy use of programmed instrumentation decreases also the enjoyment of the album with plenty of mechanic sounds next to pretty limited natural echoes.This one appears to be among the albums, where complexity ruins the talent of the composer.

There is some true potential in Saeedi's ideas, it is just not fully revealed in ''Iconophobic'', which sounds like a work created strictly for fans of Experimental Rock.A creative but eventually rather immature work.

Salim Ghazi Saeedi's third solo album is an amalgam of stylistic details, incorporating elements from jazz, world music and metal into a context that probably isn't too far away from avant-garde in sum. Fairly challenging material that should interest those with a taste for progressive rock that strays outside of many conventional borders, yet without abandoning them completely. Those with a soft spot for Persian and oriental touches probably something of a key audience amongst those.

Salim Ghazi Saeedi's second solo production "Human Encounter" appears to be something of a paradigm shift for this artist, taking a sharp left turn away from art rock and progressive metal into the jazz universe. And documents how intriguing compositions can be when acoustic bass, piano and percussion are used in an efficient and fairly innovative manner, and how well suited eastern oriented acoustic guitar motifs are in supplementing this core foundation too I might add. A highly intriguing disc to my ears, but I suspect that one needs a prior interest in jazz or this artist to be swayed by its charms.

If you enjoy the thought of encountering compositions with distinct influences from the Middle East and Iran, blending classical music, folk music and rock, spiced with a few metal touches, Salim Ghazi Saeedi has created a must-have CD in the shape of "Iconophobic". Always seeking, always adventurous, experimental and challenging, his creations may not be the most mainstream-oriented around, but are also far removed from the avant-garde parts of any musical universe. Highly recommended, particularly to an open-minded art rock audience.