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

Athens Athens ( ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Greece, largest city of Greece. A significant coastal urban area in the Mediterranean, Athens is also the capital of the Attica (region), Attica region and is the southe ...

, Greece) is a Greek guitarist and keyboardist and 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 a symphonic context. Generally, power metal is characterized by a faster, lighter, and more uplifting sound, in co ...

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

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

, before leaving in 2020 for personal reasons. He is 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 published by different companies available in numerous other countries. ''Metal Hammer'' featu ...

'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 230 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 former keyboardist, composer and the founder of the Chroma Key music project. He was also a member of the progressive metal band Dream Theater, co-founder of the progressive rock supergroup O.S. ...

Jens Johansson Jens Ola Johansson (born 2 November 1963 in Stockholm) is a Swedish keyboardist and pianist. Jens got famous in the early 80's when he and his brother Anders (drums) joined Yngwie Malmsteen's "Rising Force". Jens is the son of the Swedish Jazz ...

and

Keith Emerson Keith Noel Emerson (2 November 194411 March 2016) was an English keyboardist, songwriter, composer 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 be ...

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: ...

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 (often shortened to prog metal) is a broad fusion music genre melding heavy metal music, heavy metal and progressive rock, combining the loud "aggression" and amplified electric guitar, guitar-driven sound of the former with t ...

. 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 A ...

(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 * (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 were an English power metal band from Southampton. Prior to the band's retirement in 2023, the line-up consisted of keyboardist Steve Williams, drummer Rich Smith, vocalist Ashley Edison, guitarists Glyn Williams and George "The ...

(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'' (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 The word ''allegiance'' comes from Middle English ' (see Medieval Latin ', "a liegance"). The ...

'' (2006) *'' The Premonition'' (2008) *''

Days of Defiance ''Days of Defiance'' is the sixth studio album by Greek heavy metal band Firewind. It was released on 25 October 2010 in Europe and 26 October in North America. The guitars, bass, keyboards and drums were recorded at Sound Symmetry Studios and ...

'' (2010) *''

Few Against Many ''Few Against Many'' is the seventh studio album by Greek heavy metal band Firewind. It is the first album to feature ex-Nightrage and Meridian Dawn drummer, Johan Nunez. It was released on 21 May 2012 in Europe and 22 May in North America. Thi ...

'' (2012) *'' Immortals'' (2017)

Outloud

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

Love Catastrophe Love is a feeling of strong attraction and emotional attachment to a person, animal, or thing. It is expressed in many forms, encompassing a range of strong and positive emotional and mental states, from the most sublime virtue or good hab ...

(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 guardian specializing in combat or warfare, especially within the context of a tribal or clan-based warrior culture society that recognizes a separate warrior aristocracy, class, or caste. History Warriors seem to have been pr ...

(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 f ...

(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) *

Olympus Olympus or Olympos () may refer to: Mountains In antiquity Greece * Mount Olympus in Thessaly, northern Greece, the home of the twelve gods of Olympus in Greek mythology * Mount Olympus (Lesvos), located in Lesbos * Mount Olympus (Euboea) ...

(2023)

Serious Black

MirrorWorld The MirrorWorld is a planned pentalogy of fantasy novels written by German author Cornelia Funke in collaboration with Lionel Wigram. As of 2024, the first four books in the series have been published, titled '' The Petrified Flesh'', ''Living ...

(2016) *

Magic Magic or magick most commonly refers to: * Magic (supernatural), beliefs and actions employed to influence supernatural beings and forces ** ''Magick'' (with ''-ck'') can specifically refer to ceremonial magic * Magic (illusion), also known as sta ...

(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 (; born February 17, 1977, in Athens, Greece) is a Greek guitarist and keyboardist and the lead guitarist and keyboard player for the Heavy metal music, heavy metal/power metal bands Stray Gods, Warrior Path, Outloud, and Ser ...

'' (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