I Am the Fire

Gus G. has spent the past decade quietly affirming his place as one of metal s reigning guitar virtuosos. He has recorded more than a dozen studio albums, performed around the world as a member of acts ranging from ARCH ENEMY and DREAM EVIL to his own band FIREWIND, and has been OZZY OSBOURNE's guitarist since being personally handpicked by the heavy metal legend in August 2009. Now with the release of his first-ever solo album, I Am the Fire on Century Media Records, the fleet-fingered Greek fret-shredder will embark on the next chapter of his history-shaping career.

People have been asking me for a solo record for years now, but I didn't want to do an album that sounded like something people have heard from me before, says Gus G. of his solo debut, an album that blends the metal histrionics that fans have come to know and love with a passion for classic hard rock and metal's vintage roots. Apart from a few instrumentals, this album isn't traditional heavy metal or power metal, it s got more of a classic rock vibe. It's stuff that wouldn't fit on a Firewind record, and I didn't want to push that band in this direction. I consider myself a songwriter as well as a guitar player, and this album allowed me to experiment and explore that different side of me.

In a career highlighted by a Grammy nomination for his performance on OZZY OSBOURNE s Scream album in 2010 and accolades including Guitar Player Magazine's Best Metal Guitarist, the Dimebag Darrell Shredder award at the Metal Hammer UK Golden Gods Awards, and Metal Hammer Greece Best Guitarist on four separate occasions, I Am the Fire serves as a whole new benchmark for Gus G.