Thank you for your kind words. The album has been on its first week of release, so I have no further information for the people's opinion except for some fanzines in which they expressed their total approval for the album. As for the media, the magazines have embraced it, the reviews are quite well here in Europe and in Japan and we have also achieved being at the top of some magazines playlist (at the Greek Rock 0n magazine we have taken the place as album of the month), so this is quite a very serious step forward for the band.

In "Forged By Fire" you have a completely new line-up of the band, something I perceive as a brand new start for Firewind. How come this reformation occurred?

This is something true. Firewind have a new line up with a new singer (Chity Somapala) we are under a new label, we a have brand new album and I wish everything to turn up well for this time. As far as the line up is concerned, the rhythm session are similar to Burning Earth (Petros and Stian), and what we have added is a fifth member, our keyboard player, Bob Katsionis, and our new lead singer.

In "Forged By Fire "the musical compositions are yours or the whole band contributed in constructing the album and writing lyrics?

I have composed the most of the music except for the song "Beware The Beast" and the lyrics are something that came from the contribution of everyone at the studio.

At the time being, three of the five members of Firewind come from Greece (Gus G., Bob Katsionis, Petros Christo) and the two of them, you and Bob, are the most well known musicians of Greece that stand proudly in the music field .All these happened, I mean your collaboration with each other, in order to notify that there is descent position for Greek musicians in the heavy metal sector globally?

It is a very good point of view, I mean seeing it that way. It seems like we have united all our feelings and knowledge for music, in order to compose some tunes and pieces, so as to promote our countries potentials. The whole thing started by Bob being a session musician so as to offer his keyboard abilities during our previous tour. What happened next is that we became good friends and perceived that there is good chemistry between Bob and the band that leaded the way to the construction of a great team. So we decided to move on like that, because when you have the chance to work with people who share the same taste in music, it is a shame to follow different paths without a particular reason. This is for the good of Greece and its musical reputation, when local musicians join together so as to produce music.

I'm very glad you see it that way! Well, in your new album there is also another great participation from one of my favorable guitar hero's, Marty Friedman, in the "Feast of the Savages". How has it been working with him and is there a possibility in working together again in the future?

Marty and I have met for the first time while I was on tour in Japan the previous year, he came to watch us perform live while he was there and we became friends ever after. We were getting in touch through some e-mails and we got together again the previous summer in Japan where I asked him if he could do me the honors and perform his solo for the song. He accepted my invitation without any second thought and personally I was very glad because he has also been one of my favorable guitar hero's while I was an adult, and I could imagine myself playing all along with him. As far as a future collaboration is concerned, one of our future plans is to tour together in Japan and perform some seminars, you know jam together and answer to some students possible questions. Marty had also asked me to play as rhythm guitarist for his band at the promotion touring for his latest solo album the previous year, but unfortunately something like that didn't take place since my obligations with the band kept me away for quite a long time.

Bob Katsionis has already released two solo albums. Are there any future plans for Gus G. to produce his first solo release? The reason I'm asking this is that all your previous releases (Mystic Prophecy and Firewind) have an instrumental track in its contents and it is my firm belief that the ideas and the wonderful guitar licks have no reason to envy similar instrumental releases.

It is true that I didn't have in mind composing music for a solo release, but some labels made me the appropriate offers and some of my fans repeatedly requested that from me and so this whole situation made me think it over more seriously. The whole idea has to do with making another album with Firewind and then maybe focusing on the production of that solo album. I'm sure that this project would be something very experimental for me, since I would be offered the opportunity to show some other aspects of my musical world, something that I'm not able to do with the bands I participate. What I want to say is that hearing some Latin parts in a Firewind song would sound unfamiliar but that won't happen in a solo album.

Your solo release will be one of my future anticipations, I can assure you that. My next question has to do with all this fame and popularity you have gained during the last years. I mean a majority of web pages that include info about you, you have been set in the third position as one of the best guitar players and in the present time you have your own signature guitar model under the label of E.S.P and you're only 25. Tell me really how do you feel about that and can you say that your anticipations are met?

I don't know what to remark really. The first thing that comes into my mind is that all this popularity gained, is something that acclaims all my up to now work and the amazing amount of hours I spent, devoted in music during the last ten years of my life. From the other hand it was way out of my expectations for something like that to happen so soon or to happen anyhow. To have my personal signature model under the label of E.S.P. it is something that I didn't see it coming. It is a long life dream come true.

My next question is something that bothers me from the moment I was informed about the famous guitar hero Gus G. You compose music for four different bands, Mystic Prophecy, Firewind, Nightrage and until recently Dream Evil. Why did you choose to do something like that and not focus your love and dedication for music in one band?

When I first started to produce music in studio surroundings, I worked with a variety of musicians that ended up being members of the bands I'm now in. I didn't have a particular goal in my mind, I started playing with lots of bands and one of my dreams was for my songs to become known with one of them. It was way out of my expectations all these bands to sign contracts under great labels and gain people's approval. So all these happened completely just like that, it wasn't something that I intended to do.

Since I've mentioned it, what happened with Dream Evil, is it true that you left the band?

Yes that is true indeed. I've been with Dream Evil for quite a long time; we have released with the band three albums that met great success all around the world. But after some time the main problem emerged from the life status the rest of the band mates are under. What I want to say is that the guys have families, they raise their kids, they are older than me and as you can understand our objectives and targets have changed through the years. I wanted Dream Evil to participate in whatever kind of tour, to evolve and thus become more well-known than they already are, and this was something that the rest of the band, cause of the situation mentioned before, was not in the mood of doing. As a result we decided for Dream Evil and me to follow different paths in the musical industry.

It is my firm belief that Greece has lots of great musicians to illustrate. How do you find things here in Greece musically and is there any chance for a rookie group to meet positive results here in Greek music market?

Here in Greece we have a very small market that has to do with heavy music, if you compare it with the one of Germany, Sweden, United States and Japan. If a group wants to become known and the music it composes to be heard in some other places except Greece, they have to focus to those markets also. As far as the content of the musicians Greece has to illustrate, I believe yes, we do have some great musicians but the main problem that we face is that those individuals act more like a unit rather than a team. What I mean is that people find it difficult to collaborate with each other here. You can see that from the amount of bands Greece possesses that are known to the other European countries. For the last 20 years this attempt was successful for bands such as Rotting Christ. It is my firm belief that it is time we woke up, take things more seriously, stop envy the work of others and start focusing on the work that we are capable of producing and do something so as this work to become known. In this way maybe things will turn up to be better for Greece and its music identity.

Are you satisfied with the up to now response from the media in whatever that has to do with you as a musical talent?

I think that the whole approach has turned out to be better as the years pass. When I made my debut release I can't say that they paid as much attention as the foreign magazines and media did. But for the last two years I believe that my work is starting to gain the appropriate appreciation. For example when a band that has its origins in Germany make a release, the German press does its best so as to promote the band in the best suitable way, if of course the band has something descent to show. This is something that rarely happens in Greece and maybe a reason is that you need to prove that your are capable of producing good material globally, in order the press to start making good reviews about you.

Back to Firewind. What are the band's future plans, have you arranged any kind of European tour and will Greece be one of your tour-stops.

We have arranged a European tour with a famous band which I can not say right now, but it will be soon broadcasted via our site. We have a couple of very good offers for some gigs at Greece, but nothing yet scheduled.

Will there be any DVD release for Firewind?

I don't think that it is the right thing for Firewind to release a DVD now. The band has other goals and targets in its mind and those are to widen the number of our fans and to make the appropriate moves so as our music to be heard more. That could occur if Firewind participate more in tours and festivals and also produce another album. Moreover in "Forged by Fire" there is also available a 15 minute documentary with scenes from the recording sessions and some photos of the band, which is quite enjoyable.

Well Gus thank you very much for giving me the opportunity to have an interview with you, I'd like to close by wishing you the best for the future and good luck for Firewind's new release " Forged By Fire".

Thank you also Jim...