Traduza\\ GUS G.: I'm A Bigger BLACK SABBATH Fan Than OZZY OSBOURNE Fan

Guitar Player magazine recently conducted an interview with FIREWIND/OZZY OSBOURNE guitarist Gus G. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

Guitar Player: How big an influence was Ozzy's music on you?

Gus: Very big. I'm a huge BLACK SABBATH fan. I'm a bigger SABBATH fan than Ozzy fan, to be honest. Not to put any of Ozzy's music down, because I grew up with his solo records as well, and I studied all the guitar players that have played in his band. But I have a certain love for BLACK SABBATH and Tony Iommi. I think I totally come from that school of guitar — that traditional, heavy, hard rock guitar playing.

Guitar Player: What are the challenges to playing parts that were originally laid down by Tony Iommi, Randy Rhoads, and the others?

Gus: For a Tony Iommi part, you need to sound fucking heavy, that's for sure. That's what BLACK SABBATH is all about — being heavy and dark. As for Randy, Jake [E. Lee], and Zakk [Wylde], they're all great players. I love them all and everybody was different. I grew up with that stuff so it's great just being able to play these songs. I stick to the originals the way they were recorded. I feel that I have a very important spotlight here next to Ozzy Osbourne so I need to play this music accurately because it's all classics — the stuff that defined heavy metal and hard rock. There's always a little bit of space to do your own thing obviously, but "Crazy Train" is "Crazy Train". You don't fuck with that.

Guitar Player: How does FIREWIND's music differ from Ozzy's?

Gus: It's more of a band environment in the sense that we're playing our own songs and not backing a solo artist. The Ozzy gig is the coolest job on earth, but FIREWIND is a different scenario. We've been around for a while. We have five albums. We have a keyboard player who also plays guitar. The music has some power metal influences, as well as our SCORPIONS-meets-SABBATH-meets-JUDAS PRIEST kind of thing.

Guitar Player: Who did you listen to growing up and who do you like these days?

Gus: Early on it was Tony Iommi. Later, Yngwie Malmsteen was a big influence. The first record I heard from him was "Trilogy", and that's what really got me into the whole shredding thing. The '80s shredders like Paul Gilbert, Vinnie Moore, and Marty Friedman — I love all those guys. I also love European players from the '70s like Uli Jon Roth, Michael Schenker, and Gary Moore. As for newer guys, Jeff Loomis is great. The guys from DRAGONFORCE are very good. Michael Amott from ARCH ENEMY is a great player and he's definitely from the '70s school of guitar. I'm glad to see newer guitar players bring in that element. If young players do some digging and find out who Ritchie Blackmore and Gary Moore are and listen to THIN LIZZY and great bands like that, they can find a lot of amazing guitar stuff there. Hopefully we can be the new generation that carries that torch.

Read the entire interview from Guitar Player magazine.




Comentários: Hum, deixa a Sharon ficar sabendo dessa entrevista...

Traduza\\ FIREWIND/OZZY OSBOURNE Guitarist Featured In 'Eternal Descent' Comic

FIREWIND/OZZY OSBOURNE guitarist Gus G. is featured in the third issue of the gothic comic book series Eternal Descent, slated for publication in July 2010. The issue features a storyline inspired by guitar hero Gus G. who helps ETERNAL DESCENT characters Lyr and Sirian race against time to save Apollo and the rest of the band from the dissonant call of the Damned.

The comic book will be available at comic book stores worldwide through Diamond Distribution.

Llexi Leon, creator of the multi-media concept Eternal Descent, recruits ESP artists for cameo appearances in the Eternal Descent comic which is inspired by a host of iconic metal musicians.

The launch issue came out on March 31, 2010, with subsequent issues to be released every 4-6 weeks.

Eternal Descent spotlights GOD FORBID guitarist Doc Coyle in issue 2, and Gus G. of FIREWIND and OZZY OSBOURNE in issue 3. Other bands — including STATIC-X, ATREYU, CHILDREN OF BODOM, and SOULFLY — are slated for cameo appearances in upcoming issues.

"Llexi Leon really caught my attention when I met him at NAMM, and he described his vision of combining actual rock dudes in his comic book series and doing an issue with each one," explains Gus G. "I immediately asked him if we can be in one of his books and that's how the whole thing started. It's incredible! I feel Llexi has done a great job in capturing all of the band members' characters."

To view images from the Eternal Descent comic book issue #3 featuring Gus G., go to this location.




Comentários: Nesta ilustração, GUS G está parecendo 'Ross The Boss' em Fighting the World.

Traduza\\ FIREWIND's GUS G. To Perform With OZZY OSBOURNE At SUNSET STRIP MUSIC FESTIVAL

FIREWIND guitarist Gus. G will play his second concert with OZZY OSBOURNE at the second annual Sunset Strip Music Festival (SSMF), which will take place September 10-12. The three-day festival will kick off when Ozzy is honored at a tribute event Thursday, September 10 at the House of Blues and then Ozzy will perform the festival's final set Saturday, September 12. That's when, for the first time ever, the Sunset Strip (between Doheny Drive and San Vicente Blvd.) will be closed to host two concert stages. KORN, PEPPER, THE DONNAS and KOTTONMOUTH KINGS are among the 40 acts performing throughout the day.

Ozzy's appearance will mark his first full performance on the Sunset Strip in almost 40 years and his first ever as a solo artist. Back in 1970, BLACK SABBATH performed a five-night stand (November 11-15) at the legendary Whisky A Go-Go as part of their first U.S. tour. His career has spanned four decades and his music is as relevant today as ever. The multi-platinum, Grammy Award-winning, Rock and Roll Hall of Famer has sold more than 100 million albums worldwide — 50 with BLACK SABBATH and as many as a solo artist — and in 2003 was honored with a star on Hollywood Boulevard's "Walk of Fame."

Comentários: Pelo jeito, Zakk foi pro saco mesmo...Quem diria?

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Traduza\\ FIREWIND's GUS G. To Perform With OZZY OSBOURNE At BLIZZCON?

BLABBERMOUTH.NET has received word from a couple of different sources that 28-year-old Greek guitarist Gus G. (FIREWIND) has been tapped to play with OZZY OSBOURNE at the upcoming BlizzCon convention in Anaheim, California. It should be noted, however, that this information has not yet been corroborated by anyone in the Osbourne camp and should be treated as a rumor only.

In addition to his current axe-slinging duties with FIREWIND, Gus (real name: Kostas Karamitroudis) has played in MYSTIC PROPHECY, NIGHTRAGE, ARCH ENEMY and DREAM EVIL.

Ozzy told Classic Rock magazine in a June 2009 interview that he was on the lookout for a new guitar player, apparently to replace Zakk Wylde. He also indicated that he was auditioning a guitarist from Greece, but declined to give further details.

As for why he wanted to break away from Wylde, who has played with Ozzy on and off since 1988, Ozzy said, "I haven't fallen out with Zakk, but Zakk's got his own band, and I felt like my stuff was beginning to sound like (Wylde's band) BLACK LABEL SOCIETY. I just felt like I wanted a change, y'know?"

In an interview with a Eugene, Oregon radio station on July 29, Zakk slammed Ozzy over his Classic Rock comments, saying in part, "I've gotta be honest with you. The boss hasn't even given me a phone call, so I mean... I'm just like... I don't know what's going on over there. Are we doing this thing or are we not doing it? . . . I mean, it's like, dude, you don't wanna play with me anymore? Fine. Play with whoever the hell you wanna play with. I couldn't give a rat's ass. Like I'm gonna get all jealous or whatever. But you know what?! Man up and give me a phone call and tell me what the hell's going on."

Wylde's answer after that abruptly turned into an obscenity-filled rant directed at Ozzy that had to be heavily bleeped by the station.

The former BLACK SABBATH singer has been working on his latest solo album at his home studio in Los Angeles, He said that Wylde had recorded material for the project, but added, "I don't know if I want to use it."

BlizzCon is a semi-regular convention held by Blizzard Entertainment to celebrate their major franchises: Warcraft, StarCraft and Diablo. This year's event will be held August 21-22 at the Anaheim Convention Center.

Comentários: É um grande guitarrista, mas é como se Kiko Loureiro entrasse no Ozzy...Será que combina??

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