Gus was then asked to first perform with the band at 'Blizzcon 2009', where he ripped through Ozzy classics such as 'Crazy Train', 'Mr Crowley' and 'Bark At The Moon' with aplomb. But it wasn't until 4 years later when Gus was invited to audition for the guitar role in Ozzy's band. "The Premonition" also charted in Japan, a territory that has majorly embraced and supported the band since their inception.ĭespite the band's growing success, Gus was always ready to get back out on the road so when Arch Enemy needed a temporary tour guitarist, Gus was first in line and it was on Arch Enemy's 2005 Ozzfest appearances that he first caught the eye of the Osbourne camp. The hard work paid off as both "Allegiance" and the acclaimed follow up "The Premonition" albums made it to the Top 10 in Greece and the "Mercenary Man" single became a Top 5 hit.
Gus had finally found the right members (with the arrival of Time Requiem singer Apollo Papathanasio) and the subsequent two years of touring in support of "Allegiance" (opening for Dragonforce and All That Remains) saw the band hit three continents and clock up thousands of miles. The first album as part of that deal ("Forged By Fire" ) further established the band but it was the follow up "Allegiance" that really put the band on the international map. The band began touring the world, including a Japanese run with Rob Rock and a worldwide deal with Century Media Records was soon signed. I sent this demo around and got a couple of offers." The demo was well received and Gus signed with Leviathan Records who put out the band's first records, "Between Heaven And Hell" and "Burning Earth". Some friends helped me to put together a demo, that I named Firewind, after an album of Uli Jon Roth's band Electric Sun. "For some time I studied at Berklee College of music in the USA. With the critically acclaimed previous "Days Of Defiance" record and subsequent world tour under their belts (as well as Gus' arena-filled tour of the world as Ozzy Osbourne's right hand man), the band headed straight back into the studio to begin work on what would become the band's latest, and heaviest, album "Few Against Many".įirewind originally formed in Thessaloniki, Greece in 1998 but started in earnest after Gus moved to the United States. It's been a busy few years for Firewind and their talismanic leader, guitarist Gus G.