Bob Saliba – Testimony

Some of you might recognize the name Bob Saliba, as he is known from the bands Galderia, Kingcrown, Sloane Square Band and many others. Testimony is a critically acclaimed solo album by this French guitarist, singer, songwriter and producer. The album, consisting of thirteen tracks, was initially released on CD digipack in December 2025 and followed by a limited collector’s vinyl edition in May 2026, through ‘FTF Music‘.

Testimony is a highly personal release (13-track collection spanning 52 minutes) where Mr. Saliba introduces diverse stylistic elements – incorporating Celtic, Hispanic and Eastern progressive folk influences into his already well-established fusion of a hard rock, power and progressive metal style. Thus, lyrically Testimony is Saliba’s most uncompromising and personal work, ‘…dedicated to his son, family and parents, who have fought against emotional abuse, parental alienation and judicial system failures’.

It’s starting out with the rather soft intro song called “Our Home”, for soon after turning into more hard rocking style. The album’ leading single “Ride the Quasar” (watch the video below) serves as the third track on the album. It brilliantly encapsulates Bob Saliba’s signature fusion of melodic power metal, hard rock, and progressive folk. Meanwuile, two of my favorite tracks from Testimony are namely “Through The Solar Winds” and the following “Alienation”. “Through The Solar Winds” is an epic seventh track which relies heavily on space-themed and progressive rock textures. It layers complex and driving sharp guitar riffs, rich synth, catchy chorus, clean layered harmonies and enchanting vocals of Saliba. On the other hand “Alienation” is a mid-tempo hard rock/heavy metal tune with a tiny progressive rock feeling. The track relies on a slow-burning groove that allows the gravity of the song to settle in. The reason why I picked these two diverse tracks as my favorites is to show all diversity and different styles of playing to be heard on this lengthy record. Finally, the album closer, “Lullaby” is a perfect track to conclude the lengthy opus. It deals with the woman hiding the pregnancy and the subsequent abortion from the father, this track concludes the album.

Testimony serves as an artistic protest against the emotional devastation of parental alienation and a critique of a legal system that Saliba asserts fails to protect the best interests of children. There’re a plenty of quality songs on Testimony, majority of which sounds like a grand, cinematic journey through classic progressive hard rock and modern melodic metal. In the meantime, the best thing about Testimony is its sonic hybrid, a sound that balances the intellectual complexity of prog with the triumphant energy of power metal, all anchored by the infectious hooks and catchy choruses and grooves of a classic hard rock.

In short, the overarching production deserves a mention, as it feels expansive, polished and highly theatrical. Finally, a very nice looking album cover for Testimony (designed by artist Oleg Scherbakov) – reflecting the heavy emotional depth, themes of injustice, and deep personal resilience explored across the thirteen tracks.

The overall verdict; while the current market for this genre remains a niche, this release undoubtedly possesses the hooks and production value of a late-1980s mainstream hit. Testimony will feel like a welcome homecoming for fans of Autumns Child, Bonfire, Symphony X, Orange Outlaw, Kamelot, Celestial Voyager, and similar bands blending a progressive rock, melodic soundscapes and fusion-oriented shredding. I highly recommend heading over to facebook to see what else Bob Saliba has been cooking up.