BABIS KATSIONIS

Babis (Bob) Katsionis is one hell of great keyboard player in last decade in prog metal realm but sadly not enough well known worldwide. I've been looking to his solo career since his first album from 2002 reaching to his latest offer from 2012 named rest in keys. Well, this is a good towards great prog metal album, but with this release, at least for my ears he incorporated neo classical parts more then ever in his music. Some respected guest musicicns here like the excellent guitarist of Shadow Gallery - Gary Wehrkamp, female voice Liv Kristine from Leaves' Eyes and an ex female vocalist of the gret defunct Theatre of Tragedy and many more guests all doing a fine job in overall sound. I like this new album of this great greek keyboardist but I don't think is his best, I prefere his first two albums to be his most acomplished album with a plus on the first one who is a real gem of a prog metal album, keyboard dominated prog metal. Here we have neo classical metal not far from Stratovarius fame combined with Dream Theater instrumental parts, blistering keyboards, bombastic passages and overall an amazing technique on each musician. There are 11 pieces from wich 8 are instrumentals and the rest of 3 has some decent but not great vocal passages. Epirus Rising for me is the best from here, an instrumental tune kinda short in lenght around 4 minutes, but here Katsionis really shines, he also added some traditional greek music and in combination with keyboard driving prog metal is a damn fine result, really awesome piece. All in all a good release, Katsionis is still in big form, after more then a decade releasing albums under his name, also has many colaborations with many bands in same time, so a busy musician, but his lates album Rest in keys is not his best album for sure, at least for me. 3 rounded to 3.5 stars. I like his style and for that reason I will keep an eye of his future releases.

"Turn of my century" is the debut full-length studio album by Greek metal artist Bob Katsionis. The album was released in 2002 by Lion Music. The project is the brainchild of keyboard player, guitarist and composer Babis Katsionis. Katsionis is also known for his contributions to albums by Firewind, Nightfall and Septic Flesh. On this album he his helped out by Jimmy B. on bass and Fotis Berdardo on drums.

The music on "Turn of my century" is instrumental progressive/ neo-classical shred metal with and emphasis on synths/ keyboards. While Babis Katsionis does display his considerable guitar playing skills a couple of times during the playing time, it´s obvious that he is first and foremost a keyboard player. And an extremely talented one at that. The 17 tracks on the 57:57 minutes long album are all pretty short and to the point. In this case the point being vehicles for some extremely fast keyboard shredding. I´m tempted to say that Babis Katsionis only knows two tempos and that´s fast and faster, but that probably wouldn´t be fair as he does demonstrate his ability to write and play slower parts too. The drums, bass and guitar lays down a solid foundation but as on most keyboard player/ guitar player albums, the lead instrument is high in the mix and completely dominates the soundscape.

The production is a bit flat and lacks dynamics, but it´s not unpleasant in any way.

As a display of virtuosic skill, "Turn of my century" is a great album, but honestly I think the album lacks some really good and memorable songs. After the album is over I´m not able to remember but a few of the 17 tracks (tracks like the opening title track and the funny closing track "Scary Groove" are of the more memorable kind). But while the album is playing my jaw hits the floor several times, so I´m a bit biased towards the album. I guess a 3 star rating isn´t all wrong.

Bob Katsionis latest album to date named Noemon, released in 2008 at Lion Music as previous two albums. Another kick ass release by this fantastic keyborad player from Greece. Great instrumenal progressive metal, where keybords of Katsionis shines on every track. The album is very uptempo with blistering moments, his keybords realy did a fantastic job here, how is possible to be so unknown here in PA is beyond me. He is one of the most accopliced musicians, specialy on keybords in last decade. His skills is very very strong, from fast moements to amore mellow ones, he dis a great and unique album in this field. Also he has some important guest from metal zone like Jeff Waters, the excellent guitarist from Annihilator, Marcel Coenen, Theodor Ziras a very strong guitar player from Greece and the mastermind behind Lion Music and a great musician Lars Eric Mattson, all done a great job, each one with his own special skills and inventivness, made from this album a real winner. The title track and Birth Of The Sun are simply said lkiller tunes, man what a rythmic section this pieces has, not of this earh, not to mention the keybords of Katsionis, brilliant. So, another worthy album from his solo career of this great keyboard player and yet totaly unknown here in PA, realy a shame. All 3 albums recommended for sure, he is one of the best keybord players in last decade in prog metal zone and not only. 4 stars easy.

Second album named Imaginary force from 2004 of this brilliant and yet quite unnoticed keyboard player.

On this second effort Katsionis keeps the instrumental passages as main role and of course again an instrumental album all the way. If first album was a real treat for me and I hope will be for some of you, this second realese is a little more dominated by his guitar sound, but aswell the keys passages are not left aside not for a second. While is again an excellent solo album for a keyboard player, I prefer the previous one. On imaginary force will find again same blistering key arrangements that made him on top of keyboard players from this decade but aswell some very fast and intriguing guitar solos and riffs, also made by him. He is also helped on some pieces by another famous greek guitarist, yet not so known in prog metal scene from today Theodore Ziras. Bob Katsionis's style, very often regarded as progressive metal with neo classical arrangements, is very fluent, very well combined with jazz elements in places, has great technique hard to beat even by well known musicians. All the pieces stands a great, not a weak moment here, showing that this guy mean bussines. On the other hand Bob cites Kevin Moore, Jens Johansson and Keith Emerson as his main keyboard influences and from guitarists Jonh Petrucci among others, this influences are clear on every album he compose, but combined with his ideas the resul is agroundbreaking. Besides this solo albums and participated to other albums as guest or permanent member he has got a diploma in classic organ, based on suites and fugues by J.S. Bach as well as modern jazz pieces for pedal double scale organ, theory, classical harmony and history of music. Another recommended album for prog metal listners , 4 stars

4.5 realy

This is my 600 review. This review and album is dedicated to my pal from PA - sinkadotentree for his neverending great reviews, recomandations and suport across the years. I choose Bob Katsionis - Turn of my century from 2002 , because is a special album in my collection and above all a very good one aswell. he is a young musician, both keyboard and guitar player from Greece who bwggins his career in the '90's. This is his first album from 2002. The music is towards progressive metal with blistering key passages, very intelligent arrangements and brilliant song writing. All the album is instrumental, and proves that even today when the instrumental albums are no more a fashion in this kind of music and in metal in general, Katsionis manage to bring to the listner a nearly a masterpiece in this genre. Imagine that you listen to an instrumental Dream Theater with nice moods from mellow to more rougher ones, each instrument shines here, leaving the listner breathless at the end of the album. What worth mentioning is thatt his album is a real solo album of a keyboard player, the keys are the main role here, he has enough space to shove he is among ht ebest in his filed. Bob Katsionis is also known as a very good guitarist, besides his solo work he is a permanent member in tech/extreme bands like Septic Flesh or Nightfall, but aswell in american power metal band Firewind. Turn of my century is a great album to discover and a worthy one all the way for prog metal listners but also for keyboard freaks who can tolerate long and blistering solos both on guitar and keys. One of my fav musicians from this decade who for sure needs attenion, while he is not so well known in prog circles I recommend this album to be checked out because has some very intristing and catchy moments.Young musicians and specialy keyboard players must take a listen to Bob Katsionis, they for sure will learn a lot. 4-4.5, close to masterpiece but not quite there, still a very strong album to investigate.