Babis "Bob" Katsionis ( el, Μπάμπης Κατσιώνης; born February 17, 1977 in

Athens Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital and largest city of Greece. With a population close to four million, it is also the seventh largest city in the European Union. Athens dominates ...

, Greece) is the lead guitarist and keyboard player for the heavy metal/

power metal Power metal is a subgenre of heavy metal combining characteristics of traditional heavy metal with speed metal, often within symphonic context. Generally, power metal is characterized by a faster, lighter, and more uplifting sound, in contra ...

bands Stray Gods,Warrior Path, Outloud, and Serious Black; until recently he was part of

Firewind Firewind is a Greek power metal band formed in Thessaloniki in 1998. The group is currently signed to Century Media Records and was originally a small project created by guitarist Gus G. to showcase his demo, ''Nocturnal Symphony'', in 1998. Fi ...

but as of 2020 he has since left due to personal reasons. He is considered to be Greece's most successful rock/metal keyboard player, being the only musician to ever win the same category "Best Keyboardist" in Greek

Metal Hammer ''Metal Hammer'' is a heavy metal music magazine and website founded in 1983, published in the United Kingdom by Future, with other language editions available in numerous other countries. ''Metal Hammer'' features news, reviews and long-form ...

's Annual Readers' Polls for 5 years in a row (2006–2011). He is founder of Progressive Vision Group, a videoclip making company, which has produced more than 90 videos for rock and metal artists since 2002. In 2014 he started his own records label "Symmetric Records" to help bands and artists he produced/worked with in Sound Symmetry Studio release their works. To date, Symmetric Records has 14 official releases, with Warrior Path's "The Mad King" being the most successful.

Appearances

Katsionis has appeared in various small-time bands over the years (Skyward, Retrospect etc.), most of them projects he developed himself, before gaining more recognition with the likes of

and Outloud. Bob Katsionis 2007

He started playing keyboards when he was 10 years old and, four years later, began learning guitar. Bob cites

Kevin Moore Kevin Moore (born May 26, 1967) is an American keyboardist, composer, and founder of the Chroma Key music project. He is also a former member of the American progressive metal/rock band Dream Theater, co-founder of the progressive rock superg ...

Jens Johansson Jens Ola Johansson (born 2 November 1963 in Stockholm) is a Swedish keyboardist and pianist who currently plays in the Finnish power metal band Stratovarius and Ritchie Blackmore's rock project Rainbow. He is notable for his high-speed neoclas ...

and

Keith Emerson Keith Noel Emerson (2 November 1944 – 11 March 2016) was an English keyboardist, songwriter, and record producer. He played keyboards in a number of bands before finding his first commercial success with the Nice in the late 1960s. He became ...

as his main keyboard influences. As well as playing keyboards, Bob is also a

seven string guitar The seven-string guitar adds one additional string to the more common six-string guitar, commonly used to extend the bass range (usually a low B) or also to extend the treble range. The additional string is added in one of two different ways: by ...

player and has played both instruments in his various bands. For instance, when Firewind play live, he performs in a dual role as keyboard player or rhythm guitarist (or both), depending on the song. He uses a standard six-string guitar in these circumstances. Bob also has released three instrumental albums with his solo project resembling mostly jazzy neo-classical/

progressive metal Progressive metal (sometimes shortened to prog metal) is a broad :Fusion music genres, fusion music genre melding heavy metal music, heavy metal and progressive rock, combining the loud "aggression" and amplified electric guitar, guitar-driven s ...

. and has also joined his idol's Timo Tolkki (ex-Stratovarius) band Revolution Renaissance for the recording of their album "Trinity" without making any live appearances. He released his 4th solo album titled "Rest In Keys" in December 2012, followed by "Prognosis & Synopsis" (2016) and the experimental album titled "Amadeus Street Warrior" which was a 16-bit fictional game soundtrack. After Bob filled in live for Roland Grapow on their tour with Hammerfall (January–February 2015), Serious Black announced him as a full-time member in February 2015.

Bands currently featuring Bob Katsionis

*Warrior Path *Outloud *Serious Black *Stray Gods

Past bands and/or projects

*Firewind *Revolution Renaissance *

Kamelot Kamelot is an American power metal band from Tampa, Florida, formed by Thomas Youngblood, in 1987. The Norwegian vocalist Roy Khan joined for the album ''Siége Perilous'', and shared songwriting credit with Youngblood until his departure in Apr ...

(as co-writer) * Nightfall *

Septic Flesh Septicflesh (formerly known as Septic Flesh) are a Greek death metal band from Athens, founded in 1990. History Septicflesh were formed in Athens in March 1990 by Sotiris Vayenas (guitar), Spiros Antoniou (bass and vocals), and Christos Anto ...

*Warrior Path *Wonders (ITA) *Validor (GR) *Casus Belli
Suicidal Angels
(as guest, on Torment Payback) *Scar Of The Sun (as guest and co-writer) *Keado Mores (as guest and producer) *Encomium *Fatal Morgana (guest for Rock Of Gods 1996 Festival) *Imaginary *

Power Quest Power Quest are an English power metal band from Southampton. The line-up consists of keyboardist Steve Williams, drummer Rich Smith, vocalist Ashley Edison, guitarists Glyn Williams and George "The Kid" Karafotis, and bassist Bradley Ediso ...

(as guest) * Eldritch (as guest) *NTX (Greek crossover band Nipto Tas Xeiras) *Battleroar (as guest) *Skyward (later became Retrospect) *Mirage (later became Imaginary) *Eternal Voyager (as guest) *Tragedian (as guest on "Casting Shadows" on the album ''Unholy Divine'')

Discography

Firewind

*''

Forged By Fire ''Forged by Fire'' is the third full-length album by Greek power metal band Firewind and their first released through Century Media. From this album onwards, Gus G is the sole ever-present in their professional discography, following the replac ...

'' (2005) *''

Allegiance An allegiance is a duty of fidelity said to be owed, or freely committed, by the people, subjects or citizens to their state or sovereign. Etymology From Middle English ''ligeaunce'' (see medieval Latin ''ligeantia'', "a liegance"). The ''al ...

'' (2006) *'' The Premonition'' (2008) *'' Days of Defiance'' (2010) *'' Few Against Many'' (2012) *''

Immortals Immortality is the ability to live forever, or eternal life. Immortal or Immortality may also refer to: Film * ''The Immortals'' (1995 film), an American crime film * ''Immortality'', an alternate title for the 1998 British film '' The Wisdom of ...

'' (2017)

Outloud

*''We'll Rock You To Hell and Back Again'' (2009) *

Love Catastrophe Love encompasses a range of strong and positive emotional and mental states, from the most sublime virtue or good habit, the deepest interpersonal affection, to the simplest pleasure. An example of this range of meanings is that the lov ...

(2011) * More Catastrophe E.P (2012) *''Let's Get Serious'' (2014) *''Destination: Overdrive (The Best of Outloud)'' (2017) *''Virtual Hero Society (2018)''

Warrior Path

Warrior Path A warrior is a person specializing in combat or warfare, especially within the context of a tribal or clan-based warrior culture society that recognizes a separate warrior aristocracies, class, or caste. History Warriors seem to have been p ...

(2019) *

The Mad KIng ''The Mad King'' is a Ruritanian romance by American writer Edgar Rice Burroughs, originally published in two parts as "The Mad King" and "Barney Custer of Beatrice" in ''All-Story Weekly'', in 1914 and 1915, respectively. These were combined for ...

(2021)

Stray Gods

Storm The Walls A storm is any disturbed state of the natural environment or the atmosphere of an astronomical body. It may be marked by significant disruptions to normal conditions such as strong wind, tornadoes, hail, thunder and lightning (a thunderstorm), ...

(2021)

Serious Black

* MirrorWorld (2016) *

Magic Magic or Magick most commonly refers to: * Magic (supernatural), beliefs and actions employed to influence supernatural beings and forces * Ceremonial magic, encompasses a wide variety of rituals of magic * Magical thinking, the belief that unrela ...

(2017) * Vengeance Is Mine (2022)

Imaginary

*'' Oceans Divine'' (2001) *'' Long Lost Pride'' (2005)

Nightfall

*I am Jesus (Black Lotus records) 2002 *'' Lyssa: Rural Gods And Astonishing Punishments'' (2004)

Star Queen

*'' Faithbringer'' (2002)

Bob Katsionis

*'' Turn Of My Century'' (2002) *'' Imaginary Force'' (2004) *'' Noemon'' (2008) *''

Rest in Keys Babis "Bob" Katsionis ( el, Μπάμπης Κατσιώνης; born February 17, 1977 in Athens, Greece) is the lead guitarist and keyboard player for the heavy metal/power metal bands Stray Gods,Warrior Path, Outloud, and Serious Black; until re ...

'' (2012) *'' Prognosis & Synopsis'' (2018) *'' Amadeus Street Warrior (2020)

References

External links

Myspace
{{DEFAULTSORT:Katsionis, Bob Firewind members Greek heavy metal keyboardists Black metal musicians Greek heavy metal guitarists Musicians from Athens 1977 births Living people Greek musicians Revolution Renaissance members