I Am The Fire

Author: Primož Novak

Artist: Gus G
Label: Century Media
Release: year_month
Running time: 46:41
Rating: 4/5

Greek guitarist Kostas Karamitroudis aka Gus G. first made a name for himself at the start of the millennium, showing off his chops in Dream Evil, Mystic Prophecy and his main band Firewind. Despite plenty of credits to his name, he only really hit the spotlight in 2009, when he stepped in for Zakk Wylde, Ozzy Osbourne’s longtime guitarist. That kicked up a lot of dust, since Gus G. supposedly wasn’t up to the job. In 2010 Gus G. put out the album Scream with Ozzy, which didn’t win over every critic, but it made it more than clear that this is a world-class guitarist worth keeping an eye on.

Ozzy put his solo career on hold when he went back to Black Sabbath. Gus G. couldn’t just sit around, though, so he carried on with Firewind. Then last year he surprised everyone with I Am The Fire, his second solo album, which, unlike the first, isn’t fully instrumental, with only his soloing standing out.

This time around, Gus G. took a different approach. He rounded up a big bunch of guests for the album, which boosted the interest, since yet another instrumental »shred« album would have been totally pointless. The style is different from Firewind too. Gus G. leaned more toward heavy metal/hard rock, which makes his playing less demanding and at the same time more infectious. For I Am The Fire, Gus G. invited a range of well-known vocalists to collaborate, and they gave the album better dynamics. Even though the songs don’t differ much stylistically, apart from two faster instrumental tracks, the vocalists Mats Levén, Jeff Scott Soto, Tom S. Englund, Jacob Bunton, Michael Starr and Blake Allison made this album that much more special with their voices. The song Long Way Down adds a touch of tenderness, with vocalist Alexia Rodriguez of Eyes Set To Kill guesting. Gus wrote the music himself, but other well-known musicians helped out with the recording, like David Ellefsson (Megadeth) and Daniel Erlandsson (Arch Enemy). You could say I Am The Fire is half an allstar album.

Gus G. of course didn’t forget about his virtuoso skills. His solos, which fit nicely into the simply structured songs, are all over the place. The overall sound of the record is solid too, and the guitar is, logically, front and center.

I Am The Fire isn’t a game-changer, but that’s what makes it such a fun, dynamic record that blends heavy metal and hard rock elements nicely. It’s a solid nudge for Gus to keep going with his solo career, which is looking pretty successful so far.

Lineup

Gus G. – guitar, bass, keyboards

Jeff Friedl – drums (tracks 1-3,6,8-12)

Production

Gus G., Jay Ruston (mix)

Track list