Firewind

Firewind started in Thessaloniki in 1998 as a vehicle for the guitar playing of Gus G., who recorded a demo with musician friends in the United States. It took a few years to become a real band. The debut Between Heaven and Hell came out in 2002 with singer Stephen Fredrick, followed by Burning Earth in 2003. Fredrick did not want to tour, and Chitral Somapala took over for the live dates.

A worldwide deal with Century Media brought Forged by Fire (2005), the last album with Somapala, who left a few months after its release. Apollo Papathanasio of Time Requiem stepped in for Allegiance (2006) and stayed through The Premonition (2008), Days of Defiance (2010) and Few Against Many (2012). In 2009 Gus G. joined Ozzy Osbourne’s band, and Papathanasio later left Firewind.

After a five-year gap the band returned with Immortals on 20 January 2017, its first concept album, about the battles of Thermopylae and Salamis. It was produced by Dennis Ward and was the first record with singer Henning Basse. In March 2020 Basse left for personal reasons and Herbie Langhans of Avantasia joined in time for the self-titled Firewind later that year. Stand United followed on AFM Records in March 2024.

On 20 November 2025 Gus G. announced that Langhans was leaving, because his Avantasia schedule clashed with Firewind’s touring, and that Basse was back. A day later the band announced a deal with BLKIIBLK, the metal imprint of Frontiers. The first result is Gods, Myths & Titans, a twelve-track concept album about Greek mythology announced on 10 September 2026 with the single “The Legend Of Achilles”. It is due on 19 February 2027.

Current line-up: Henning Basse (vocals), Gus G. (guitars, keyboards), Petros Christo (bass), Johan Nunez (drums)