Stepping into some acreage in the prog garden with a bit more adrenaline running through the soil, this week the search for all things prog heads to Greece and a visit with Bob Katsionis to check out his latest release, "Prognosis & Synopsis." Bob resides in acreage rich with new age sounds; Vangelis, Jean Michel Jarre, Jordan Rudess, and Keith Emerson have roots in this section as do many others. A different travel log for the Concert Closet so hold tight and get ready for an
ear-opening week...
Starting with Prognosis, I am immediately struck by lightning as the needle shoots dead right toward the red; not so much as to break glass, but you won't be nodding off anytime soon either. As the curtain is drawn back you can almost feel yourself needing to grab hold of terra firma; the headphones are filling your auditory canals with a cacophony of sound your mind needs a minute to digest. There is so much here; top notes of Liquid Tension Experiment and Yngwie Malmsteen are whizzing past my olfactory sensors at a record pace. Bob Katsionis certainly knows how to make a grand entrance...
Next up is Asymmetric Parallels. If, for some unexplained reason, you need a shot of Red Bull after that first cut--here you go. I sense a Trans Siberian Orchestra vibe wafting through this cut. The guitar work would make John Petrucci drop a gauntlet, and the drum work sets a healthy foundation on which the entire production sits. Bob Katsionis seems like an adrenaline junkie and the prog garden is where he finds his fix--nothing wrong with that. Let this one crash over you like a Rocky Mountain avalanche...
Liner Notes...hailing from Neo Irakleio, Athens, Greece, Bob Katsionis keeps a busy schedule. He plays guitar and keyboards for the bands Firewind, Serious Black, and Outloud. Did I mention Bob also played all the instruments except the drums on his new album? The sticks were handled deftly by one Vangelis Moraitis...many hats indeed.Bob has had a full ledger since 1993 when he began playing at this frenetic pace. He also runs a video making company and tutors the next generation of guitarists and keyboard players. Somehow (between students I assume), he also found time to put together some pretty impressive solo work. Five albums by my count...oh yeah; that's why we're in the prog garden this week in the first place...
Bob started with keyboards at the age of ten and then dabbled with the guitar as a teenager. In addition to being a member of the bands listed previously, Bob Katsionis was involved with no less than sixteen previous bands and/or projects...prodigy comes to mind...maybe over achiever...
The final serving this week is the last cut on the album, Synopsis. Here Mr. Katsionis pulls out all the stops, exploring the prog garden from an entirely different vantage point. If this piece truly is a synopsis of Bob's career thus far, he has had one helluva joyride across the prog garden. Close your eyes and you can feel the wind on your face as the dry ice clouds waft in the air, the intensity level hitting its stride and cruising along that delicate edge where tranquility meets insanity. Top notes are reflective of a Jordan Rudess/John Petrucci duel, with Keith Emerson throwing lighter fluid on the entire thing; the flame is controlled and burning ever so brightly...
You can find out more about Bob Katsionis and purchase the CD at Bob Katsionis bandcamp. I would encourage you to purchase this disc and everything else in Bob's catalog. Just a heads-up; the disc/download will not be available at iTunes, Spotify, or other streaming services. I respect an artist who protects his work...
The clip posted below is only here to educate you to the uncanny ability and serious talent Bob Katsionis delivers. The keyboards are almost hypnotic as they float through the background of the entire cut. There is a haunting voice that starts to follow you down the path, like an extra terrestrial that isn't there when you turn your head suddenly...the fervor picks up once again and then the song fades to black...and you're out of breath...
Thus concludes another week in the Closet Concert Arena fellow progheads. It has been a while since the heat reached these levels; Bob Katsionis can definitely work up a lather. This is a section of the prog garden I have always enjoyed but never seem to write enough about...perhaps it is time to broaden the scope and vision. This section of the prog garden is always in full bloom and filled with vibrant color, the canvas exploding with vivid emotions that rain down like a summer hail storm. So while I fumble through the prog garden exploring the next destination in the search for all things prog, you can just sit here and melt into the cacophony...until next time...
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