BOB KATSIONIS - IMAGINARY FORCE (A-/B+) Lion Music, 2004
12 tracks, RT: 49:41, multimedia section
[ http://www.nightfallstar.com/
]
[ bobkatsionis@hotmail.com ]
[ http://www.lionmusic.com/ ]
I think I have a new favorite keyboardist, and his name is Bob
Katsionis. (Actually, I don't think I ever declared a previous
favorite, but that's quibbling.) This guy just flat-out smokes, and
unlike a lot of instrumental musicians he writes actual songs that
stand up to repeat listens. IMAGINARY FORCE is shorter and a bit more
focused than 2002's TURN OF MY CENTURY, but it's similiar enough in
style that if you liked the old one then you'll definitely like this
new one. The guy is just an amazing keyboardist and guitarist, no
question about it. Riffs, chops, hooks, solos...he's got 'em all.
Highlights include "Galaxy," "March Of The Spirits," "Bird's Eye
View," "Sing For The Day," and "Is It Me Or The Weather?" The disc's
bonus content includes a 14-minute behind-the-scenes movie and a video
clip for the TURN OF MY CENTURY track "Scary Groovie." Bob recently
joined fellow Greek maestro Gus G. (guitars) in Firewind -- that
should be a fun pairing! He'll only make that band better, and let's
hope he continues to pound out these ivory-tickling solo gems as well.
- Tim
Detritus Rock/Metal e-zine
"Rock Hard With A Purpose"
Detritus
BOB KATSIONIS - Imaginary Force
Bob Katsionis started playing keyboards at the age of ten and four
years later in 1992 he bought his first guitar.
Inspired by keybordists like Kevin Moore, Jens Johansson and Keith Emerson,
he started playing keyboards in
the band Skyward, who later was renamed Retrospect. Being one of the few
keyboardplayers in his home country
Greece, who is really into Metal, gave him soon offers from a lot of bands.
With Fatal Morgana, Bob played at Rock
Of Gods open air festival in Greece as opening act for Slayer, Saxon, Blind
Guardian and Rage. Bob played with
other bands like Acid Death , Tidal Flood and he also played on the debut
from the Power Metal band Casus Belli.
Between all this performing he 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. After Bob finished
the army he joined the hip-hop-nu metal band Nipto Tas Heiras, but
when he got a phone call from the singer in
Nightfall and the chance to play at Wacken Open Air 2001 he immediately
joined the band. After this he became
permanent member of Nightfall and together with them he recorded
their latest release I Am Jesus. He also in
this period started with the work of his first solo CD, while he was playing
with Casus Belli. By the end of the
summer 2001 he joined Septic Flesh and toured Europe and Greece with
them. While he was touring with Septic
Flesh Lion Music in Finland released Bob`s first solo CD Turn
Of My Century. With amazing reviews from all the
world he got a great reputation as keyboardplayer and have since all this
been involved in some session recordings
for Starqueen, Battleroar, Magic Kingdom, he also toured with Firewind on
their Japanese and European tour.
When I month after month are receiving and writing about a lot of
releases from around the world there are some
releases who goes a bit deeper down in to my soul than others. It`s not so
often I write about instrumental albums,
but Imaginary Force from Bob Katsionis has made a big
impression on me. Bob has managed to make an album
that sounds different to many other instrumental albums. One of the things I
think is very strong with this album is the
variation from song to song. Musically Bob takes us through a lot of
different styles like fast Melodic Power Metal
songs to more midtempo Melodic Metal songs, who are spiced up with some
elements of progressive rock and
some jazz and fusion elements. The instrumental performing from Bob
is on a very high level and done with such
perfection and creativeness that I will say it is the strongest instrumental
album I`ve heard in a very long time! The
album is full to the very brim with class, quality, atmosphere and a
production from Bob who is crystal clear. With
help from drummer Fotis Bernando and bassplayer Stavros
Giannakopoulos plus some guest performances from
the two well known Greece guitarplayers Theodore Ziras and Alex
Flouros, this album has become something
really special worth taking notice of! The fast and dynamic opener The
Imaginary Force will hit you down directly
with tasteful riffs, solos and beautiful played keyboards. The twelve songs
are all very strong and, as I said earlier,
with a lot of variation in the songs. March Of The Spirits is much
more melodic and easier to recognize, the melody
played with piano is great and the guitarsolo at the end of the song is
really nice. Sing For The Day is maybe one of
the songs on the CD that can be compared to and who reminds me of
instrumental albums from Joe Satriani, Steve
Morse and Vinnie Moore, but the difference between Bob`s album and
the mentioned ones is that the keyboards are
much more forward in the songs on Bob`s CD. A great example on that
is with song number four, Galaxy. Is It
Me Or The Weather, All My Naked Hopes and Separated is my
personal favorites on the CD. Check out
Bob Katsionis album Imaginary Force and you will be surprised!
The band:
Bob Katsionis - Keyboards & 7 strings guitars
Fotis Bernardo - Drums
Stavros Giannakopoulos - Bass
Additional soloists:
Theodore Ziras - Guitar
Alex Flouros - Guitar
Thomas Panagiotou - Toumbeleki
www.melodichardrocktoday.tk
Katsionis, Bob: Imaginary Force
 A
couple years ago, in a review of
Greek multi-instrumentalist Bob
Katsionis’ debut instrumental CD
Turn of My Century, I
called the then-25-year-old
phenom “a cool geek with
exceptional musical talent” and
was “frightened by how much
better this guy could get in 10
years.”
Well, a mere two years later,
the talent hidden within
Katsionis’ fingers, which play
both keyboards and seven-string
guitars, scares the bejeezus out
of me. This dude is a monster,
and Imaginary Force is
the kind of instrumental album
that will hit you like an unseen
force, its musical prowess
leaving you exhilarated and
exhausted. Think Planet X meets
Joe Satriani, with Yngwie
Malmsteen and Vitalij Kuprij
fighting for a piece of the
action. But what else would you
expect from a guy who prints the
phrase, “Speed Kills; Warp Speed
Rules,” on the inside tray liner
of his CD? With the backing of a
drummer and a bassist, Katsionis
welds his trio with the finesse
of a veteran player — which he
is, having been making music
since age 10.
While the first nine songs on
Imaginary Force stand on
their own and convey a range of
musical emotions, all stacked
with melody (despite reaching
warp speed a few times), it is
the album’s final 15 minutes,
dubbed “The Trilogy of Lust,”
that make this album such a
blissful listening experience
for any sophisticated headbanger.
The three-part scorcher begins
with Katsionis’ idea of how a
porn soundtrack should sound —
complete with moans and squeals
(“St. Pervert”), segues into a
majestic movement that
tastefully incorporates elements
of famous Greek composers
Vangelis and Yanni (“Tsifteteli-Overture
1821)” and concludes with
no-holds-barred,
neoclassical-saturated keyboard
piece Katsionis wrote while
under the influence of a popular
alcoholic beverage in Greece
that became the title of the
song (“Ouzo!”).
Yowza!
Track Listing:
1) The Imaginary Force (4:10)
2) March of the Spirits (3:57)
3) Sing For the Day (4:32)
4) Galaxy (3:08)
5) Sudden Death (3:12)
6) Bird’s Eye View (3:27)
7) Is It Me Or the Weather?
(4:16)
8) All My Naked Hopes (4:05)
9) Separated (4:42)
The Trilogy of Lust
10) St. Pervert (5:05)
11) Tsifteteli-Overture 1821
(5:41)
12) Ouzo! (3:51)
Total Time: 49:41
Added: April 29th 2004
Reviewer:
Michael Popke
www.seaoftranquility.org
Score:
 
Related Link:
Lion Music
BOB KATSIONIS - TURN OF MY CENTURY (B+)
Lion Music, 2002
17 tracks, RT: 58:08
[ http://www.lionmusic.com ]
Here is why you listen to *every* promo CD in the pile: Combine cheesy/goofy cover art
(sorry, but it is) and a name you don't recognize, and you get an album that doesn't
generate much interest or enthusiasm upon first glance. But then you actually listen to
the disc (what a concept!) and you're blown away. Greek keyboard wizard Bob Katsionis has
played with several bands (Acid Death, Imaginery, and Casus Belli to name three) but this
is his debut solo album, on which he plays just about every friggin' keyboard tone known
to mankind, programs the drums, and, last but not least, jams on 7-string guitar. Someone
named Jimmy B. plays 5-string bass, and the resulting duo sounds as big and majestic and
talented as any other self-proclaimed "sick" or "scary" all-star
instrumental group. There is one rather
large difference between Bob K.'s music and that of those other groups though: Katsionis
knows how to write three-and-a-half-minute songs with melodies. What a concept, eh? He can
say what's on his mind without taking the listener on a long, boring, meandering trip.
(Admittedly, it might be a stretch for some people to sit comfortably through nearly an
hour's worth of keyboard-driven "prog lite," but trust me, TURN OF MY CENTURY is
*not* a tedious wank-a-thon.) I'll throw out names of a few noteworthy songs just for
shits 'n' grins -- "Planeterium," "Enemy's Adagio," "Windows To
The World," and the title track -- but really, you have to sit down and enjoy the
album as a whole. The inclusion of track-by-track liner notes (always a good thing in my
book!) helps in this regard. This is a great disc to pop in the car stereo and cruise to.
- Tim
=====
Detritus Rock/Metal e-zine
"Rock Hard With A Purpose"
http://www.dynamitemetal.com/detritus/
Bob Katsionis - Turn Of My Century (Lion
Music 2002)
If you don't know this guy and love very heavy prog/fusion music, you
absolutly have to check him! This guy is so talented, I can't believe what this guy is
doing on the keyboard!! He studied classical organ for 12 years and it's really easy to
see! The guitar riffs are also incridible! Raw energy, pure metal but with a progressive
feel to it that give the music something very unique. One thing very important to
say...it's instrumental music and man let me tell you that this is not a negative point!
I'm a singer so for me, vocals is really important but this CD is and exeption....those
songs doesn't need vocals!! It gives more place for the keyboard and guitar solos and let
me tell you that these solos are one of the best I hear in my entire life!!! It's a total
blast!
Note: 90%
Patrick www.thedarkesthours.com
Bob Katsionis - Turn Of My Century
August 2002 | Released: 2002, Lion Music | Rating: 3.7/5 | Reviewer: Night
Of The Realm
Keyboardist Bob Katsionis, hailing from Greece, scores a
solid hit with his full-length debut solo album, TURN OF MY CENTURY, released on the
progressive Finnish Lion Music label. This album is a fine demonstration of
keyboard-driven (not keyboard-drenched!) progressive/power metal in the neoclassical
style, and is completely instrumental.
WHAT? Keyboard-driven? Neoclassical? I know with that last statement, I lost more than a
few of my readers, but for those of you who follow, let me continue.
Bob Katsionis is a talented musician. His primary study is classical organ, and he holds a
degree in Church Organ Studies. While his background study lies in organ music, one cannot
determine that from his music. TURN OF MY CENTURY is speedy prog, arguably metal, but
undeniably good. Mr. Katsionis can shred on both keyboard and guitar, and his classical
training makes this a very technical release as well. Though he is only 25 years old, he
is no stranger to the metal realm, having played in various bands ranging in style from
traditional metal to death metal, including the Greek bands Skyward, Fatal Morgana, Acid
Death, and Imaginary, as well asplaying Wacken 2001.
Because this CD is completely instrumental, Bob’s focus is entirely on the music, and
his songwriting is such that one does not need lyrics or vocals to capture the mood of
this album. The songs range from fast-paced shred tracks like “Omega,” and the
title track to slower, soulful, and almost spacey tracks like “My Strange Girl,”
one of my favourites from this disc due to its epic, sweeping keyboard atmosphere. Another
great track is “Song Of The East,” which opens with an odd beat, almost
techno-ish, and an Arabesque wail, before slowing down to a Middle-eastern flair, then
continuing into high-speed shredding. As Bob Katsionis says, “Speed Kills -
Warp-Speed Rules!” The other track that really stands out to me is “Enhanced
Fear,” which among the shred guitar also features a classical organ bit, more
Middle-Eastern influences, and something that reminds me of a folk dance piece, all
combined to make a very cool song.
The liner notes are also worthy of comment as in the booklet, Bob Katsionis has written
some comments about each song on the album. Here, he lists not only his intent and
inspiration for the tracks, but also a bit about the technique and recording process,
which I think will be quite interesting to the musicians who pick up this album. As for
myself, I am content to sit back and enjoy the variety of music on this album. Bob
Katsionis is a talented musician, and has written a very cool piece with this album. I
really got a fair amount of enjoyment from this album, and I recommend that prog, shred,
neoclassical, and instrumental fans pick this one up.
Rick Maloney Metal Rules!!
www.metal-rules.com
Bob Katsionis - Turn Of My Century (Lion
Music 2002)
It is
not fair when one musician can have so much talent, and in Bob Katsionis' case, his
abilities as both a guitarist and keyboardist are exposed for all ears to hear on this his
debut cd called Turn of my Century.
Hailing from the unsuspecting country of Greece, Katsionis offers a cd that is
predominantly a combination of Neo-Classical shred meeting Fusion. An all
instrumental display of frenzied finger dexterity to be sure, and as good as anything that
is fitting into this categorically.
His keyboard work, and compositional sense fit him squarely into the league of Artension's
keyboardist extraordinaire Vitalij Kuprij. His nimble fingerwork, and large arsenal
of keyboard tones allow him to express the intensity of his classically based writing
style. Equally impressive is his guitar playing, which gets about the same amount of
attention throughout the cd. Again, his classical background is apparent in his approach
to the guitar, he could be thought of as one that could mimic the likes of MacAlpine,
Bellas, or Romeo.
I cannot say that this is an original recording, as I have heard a lot of music that is
derived from this same palette of sounds and style, it is however, very well conceived,
performed, and recorded, and should serve notice that a new and significant artist has
arrived to satify the fans of Neo Classical instrumental music.
MJ Brady
silverdb.com
Bob Katsionis - Turn Of My Century (Lion
Music 2002)
I don't know what Iggy is up to, but recently I have been getting many instrumental
"super chops" albums for review. I run hot and cold with them, for the most
part, usually because right after I throw them in, I find myself thinking: "Holy
crap, these guys are awesome! I wish I had half those chops!". The trouble is that,
more often than not, these albums lack enough variety to hold my attention for a full 60
minutes.
Fortunately, this album by Greek keyboard mutant Bob Katsionis is not too guilty of the
usual excess, and it will probably be quite a treat for anyone who loves music with chops,
a la Dream Theater meets Iron Maiden with a dash of Kansas. Many of the songs have hooks
and memorable melodies, plus the obligatory incendiary solos, and the attention to detail
in the compositions is to be noted. There aren't incessant changes or a million parts to
each song, yet nothing sounds milked. For what it's worth, I give the song-writing an
enthusiastic thumbs up.
There are only three weak points on the album, which I must note as well. One is that,
while the sequenced drums are expertly programmed, with a lot of variation and none of the
obvious loops, music of this caliber really deserves to be recorded with a human being
keeping time. Sometimes when you write an entire piece of music you get the sense that you
really need to have every drum fill and drum pattern this way or that, but if one lets go,
the "demoitis" will soon pass, and 99% of the time having the aggression and
pulse of a real person on tape is a vast improvement.
The second and third are less important, and perhaps only reflect my own
simple-mindedness, but I kept thinking that many of the songs really needed vocals, and
that the album runs a bit too long. Maybe "needed" isn't right, but I often
found myself waiting for vocals to kick in, and I found it hard to be as upbeat about the
entire disc past track 12 (Face the Undead). The last 6 tracks are great in their own
right, but by then I've had enough of the sequenced drums.
I think talented instrumentalists often ignore the old adage "leave them wanting
more...", but ultimately, it's a matter to be decided by the taste and imagination of
the listener.
I hope this is the start of future output from Katsionis. Keyboard
aficionados owe it to themselves to check this out.
Luis Nasser / www.prog4you.com
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