The countdown to the Firewind and Masterplan concerts has officially begun! We are pleased to present our interview with Gus G, one of the most talented guitarists in the metal world, ahead of these highly anticipated shows.

In this insightful conversation, Gus G discusses his musical journey, the experience of performing with Ozzy Osbourne, and provides an in-depth look into the life of Gus G.

Gus, you’ve really made a name for yourself in the metal scene with your incredible guitar skills and unique sound. For those who may not know you yet, how would you describe your musical journey and what inspired you to pursue a career in music?

Gus G: Thanks. Well, it’s been a journey that has lasted for more than 2 decades so far and it’s had lots of ups and downs, it’s been a pretty wild ride so far. I’ve been fortunate to travel and see the world many times, play my music for many people and for that I’m extremely grateful. 

As far as I can remember as a kid all I wanted to do was play guitar. So, it’s almost as if there was no other choice for me, I feel that’s what I came to do on this Earth. 

Having played alongside Ozzy Osbourne, you’ve experienced the world of rock and metal at the highest level. What’s something you learned from those years that you still carry with you today, both on and off the stage?

Gus G: I’ve learned so many things from my time w/ Ozzy. One thing I saw during my time with him, is how nice and polite everyone was and respectful. There were no rockstar attitudes whatsoever. Which unfortunately is something I saw many bands and their crew having at the smaller club levels. So, that’s something I always think about – that nobody likes an asshole. Be nice to everyone, it doesn’t cost a thing.

Another thing is the proffesionalism, to always be on time, always be prepared and ready and always give your 110% on stage. I had this attitude before I joined Ozzy as well, but at that level, you have to be able to handle a lot of pressure and last minute changes.

You’ve also had some remarkable experiences in the extreme metal scene. Are there any standout stories that come to mind?

Gus G: Indeed I was a member of Nightrage in the early years, I helped put that band together and get it off the ground and co-produced a lot of the songs on the first 2 albums. I was also a touring guitarist for Arch Enemy for a few months back in 2005. I like the late 90s and early 00s Metal that came out of Scandinavia, which is my generation pretty much. I have to say Arch Enemy was my first experience with a proffesional band that had actual management, crew and it was a situation where they actually made a living from their music. I learned a lot playing w them the summer of 2005, which is inspired me to apply to my own band later on.

How do you feel about the idea of making music in extreme genres today?

Gus G: I don’t have such ideas or desires to be honest. Never say never of course, but I don’t see myself going down that path. 

You have a story at Berklee! How have the friendships and connections you made during that time influenced your career? Did any of those relationships lead to inspiring collaborations?

Gus G: Not really. The only person I met at Berklee that we were jamming a lot at that time, was James Malone who went on to form Arsis later on. Me and James were pretty close friends during our time at Berklee. And of course we both took lessons from shredder Joe Stump.

When collaborating with other musicians or producers, what key factors do you believe contribute to a successful partnership?

Gus G: It always depends on the nature of the project and what role each person has. When I’m co-writing with someone, it’s important that we both want the same thing – to make a killer song, therefore the best idea wins. You have to put egos aside when you co-write.

Usualy I’ll have  a more well rounded vision of where I’m going so I’ll hire people to help me bring that to life. If it’s a situation where I am hired to work on someone else’s music, I’ll ask them what they want. 99,9% of the times they tell me to just feel free to do whatever haha…

But in these situations my goal is to elevate the song and play something that will make the part better. So, I’m always serving the music and not vice versa. 

How many side projects are you currently managing?

Gus G: Just Firewind and my solo works. It’s been like that for a number of years. I like the idea to jump from one band to another, cause both are my babies so to speak. But w my solo works I’m able to experiment and collaborate w other people. Whereas Firewind has a very specific sound and style and we have to be creative within those lines.

What types of projects particularly excite you?

Gus G: The music I make and play, is what excites me. I wouldn’t waste my time and energy on anything else, that I don’t feel strong about.

Reflecting on your entry into the music industry, what surprised you the most? You know, things aren’t always as they seem…

Gus G: When I got into the music business I was surprised to see that most people that worked at record labels, booking agents, promoters, etc. were very DIY and people that didn’t have college degrees. They just loved this underground music style and learned along the way.

You could say I learned the same way and this is a philosophy I still live by. I’m very hands on with everything I do. That’s why I manage myself since 2016, I own my publishing and even some of my catalogue and try to keep things “In house” as much as possible.

We all have our ways to unwind! What activities do you pursue outside of music to relax? In today’s world, we all need a little relaxation.

Gus G: I like to work out a bit, just to have a healthy mind and body. But my favorite thing is to hang out with my cats. I have 4 of them and I love raising them and taking care of them.

Time management can be quite a challenge! How do you balance your various commitments? Can you share what a typical day looks like for you as a successful musician?

Gus G: Well as I mentioned, I also manage the band so I take care of the day to day business. It might surprise some people to hear this, but I enjoy doing this administrational stuff for the band. It’s like my day job. So, a typical day when I’m not on tour is like this: I wake up whenever (that’s a good thing), feed the cats, have breakfast and then I answer emails or do logistics for upcoming shows/tours. I might have meetings over the phone, talk to the band guys or other stuff. I’ll spend a lot of time in my studio either doing work on the computer, working social media or play some guitar. I recently brought in a social media person to help out w the workload as I was spending too much time with that and less w guitar. And I don’t like that.

If it’s a period where I’m writing music I’ll keep a tighter schedule w things so I have enough time to work on music. That can take forever sometimes! Then in the evening I spend time with my family. 

I’m curious to know—do you incorporate sci-fi themes into your music? When you create, what kind of universe do you envision, and how do you express that conceptually?

Gus G: I don’t really incorporate sci-fi themes, I don’t even know how to write that haha! But I love sci-fi movies, I’m huge fan of Blade Runner, Dune and films like that. 

As for writing, it depends. Sometimes stuff comes out of nothing, just improvising. Then other times it helps to have a concept in mind. I’m currently writing something like this for new Firewind music, I’d like ot make another concept album like we did with “Immortals”.

What is the primary message you wish to convey through your music and lyrics?

Gus G: People have told me many times that my music helped them overcome really difficult times, even saving their lives. That is mind blowing to me, to hear something like that. Those who listen to Firewind, know that our lyrics aren’t fictional, we draw from every day life situations and want to relay messages of positivity and motivate people. Maybe that’s why we have so many songs with the word “fire” on the title haha!

If you were to compose a piece inspired by Turkey, what instruments would you choose, and what melodies would you create?

Gus G: Oh, that would be interesting! In Turkish music you use a lot of microtones, that aren’t used in Western music. I haven’t studied those, but being Greek, I have been listening to similar folk music since I was a kid. So I’d probably choose instruments like bouzouki and Saz. Maybe even have a female voice do an “amane”, that could be cool.

As a final note, you have an impressive collection of musical gear. Which pieces of equipment are essential to your setup? Are there any new instruments or technologies that you are particularly excited about integrating into your sound?

Gus G: The most essential equipment are my Jackson signature Gus G guitars of course. They’re tailor maid to my needs and specs. As for new gear, I recently got into amp modelers and have been using an amp pedal called ToneX by IK Multimedia. It’s pretty insane w this AI modeling technology, you almost cannot tell the difference anymore from a real amp and a modeler. And it’s easy to carry to gigs and super fast to dial in your tones. I’ve modeled my Blackstar amps w my pedals and have used this on the last tour and it was amazing. So, I’m getting up to date with things and I’m enjoying the proccess.

Before your concert, what would you like to say to the readers of Surge Türkiye and your fans?

Gus G: I wanna thank you for reading this and wanna let you know that me and the guys are really looking forward to our show in Istanbul! It’s been too long since Firewind was there. Hope to see you all there!