by Dimitris Zacharopoulos

Gundriver has assembled a line-up featuring musicians with impressive backgrounds. How did this project originally come together?

In 2012, Alex Rivas and I had been kicking around the idea of starting a band while we were in Hollywood.  I gave him a call one day, when I was overseas working in Afghanistan and told him I had some song ideas and asked if he wanted to get something going – so that’s how Gundriver was born.  We had an album written in short order and ended up out on tour 13 months later opening for Michael Schenker, so it was a pretty quick flash to bang as they say.

What was the initial vision behind Gundriver, and how close is the band today to what you first imagined? 

The initial vision was to stay the hell away from the wrong side of Hollywood – so, we’ve stuck to a vision that allowed us to write freely with no outside interference and you can hear it in the tunes.  I’ve used the Jimmy Page model by producing from within the band to protect the band members’ input and prevent outside interference.  The ideas you’re hearing were written by the guys playing the music – period, and that’s the way it’s supposed to be. Metal isn’t supposed to be smoothly or slickly produced, it’s supposed to sound like it’s about to explode and these tracks have the raw energy that I always loved to about metal albums growing up. So, the vision hasn’t really changed – we simply wanted to write the best music we were capable of.

Some weeks ago, you announced that Ronnie Romero has joined Gundriver. How did this happen?  

Ronnie is featured on this album and did a world class job with the vocals.  Ronnie and I were introduced through mutual contacts in the rock and metal community. We had been looking for a vocalist who could bring both power and versatility to the material we were writing for Gundriver, and Ronnie immediately stood out as a great fit. After sharing some songs and discussing the vision for the project, he connected with the music and expressed interest in getting involved. Once we started working together, it became clear that his voice and experience added a new dimension to the album.

Your upcoming album is titled “Give War a Chance”. What is the meaning behind the title, and what themes are explored throughout the record?

I was in the American Army for 20+ years, and I saw this on a bumper sticker one day driving into work and began laughing – immediately I told myself, “That’s a great album title!”  It’s obviously a play on the hippie mantra of ‘give peace a chance’ and is intentionally provocative. It’s not about glorifying war; but in all reality, you can’t have peace without the people who are ready and willing to fight for it.  The album explores themes of sacrifice, resilience, loss, and personal struggle. Some songs are inspired by military experiences and history, while others focus on the battles we all fight in everyday life.

Who did the production of the new album? The mixing and the mastering?

I produced the album with Charlie Waymire mixing and Ernesto Homeyer mastering.  I will be completely honest with you in that production is much easier with strong songwriters and all of us write well together in this group.

How would you describe the musical direction of the new album compared to the bands and projects you’ve been involved with in the past? 

Gundriver’s current incarnation has that special little spark that you always hear some of the best bands reference, it was evident when we started writing this album that there was something special with these songs.

What were the main influences that shaped the sound of this album? 

We didn’t lean on any influences specifically when writing – we simply started writing. Obviously, you’re going to hear a flavor of any number of the great metal bands throughout any of our work, but that’s a subconscious versus intentional thing. We didn’t have a singer at the beginning of pre-production for this album, so Alex and I just started laying down riffs and song sections.  As we began looking for a singer, it forced us to tighten up the arrangements so the tunes were ready for a vocalist.

What did Ronnie bring to the songs, when he joined the band?

Ronnie Romero is among the best rock and metal vocalists in the world and after having seen him touring with Michael Schenker, he was on the top of my list of vocalists to work with.  His voice brings an enormous amount of character to these tunes, a truly great vocalist.

Can you tell us about the songwriting process? Did the music come first, or were some songs built around lyrical concepts?

I write often – generally, an idea will hit me while playing guitar already and I’ll simply record the riff and sit and listen for where the next section could go.  After I get a rough idea down – or at least a couple song sections, I’ll run it by Alex (drums) and that’s when the riff or idea will begin to develop into a more robust song style arrangement.  A real drummer is so much better than drum loops as you’re generally not going to be limited to a specific time signature or feel.  When the vocals came in, obviously the lyrical contact shaped the feel of the tune – I think they married up perfectly.

“One Man Army” is the first single from the album. Why was this track chosen to introduce the new album to the world?

We all like this tune, and the radio folks agree with us => so that’s how it became our lead single! “One Man Army” came to me as I was driving down the road in Virginia – it was a unique experience in that I felt like the song was floating in the air and I could kind of hear it and feel it.  I rushed home and recorded what you’re hearing in about an hour – our writing partner Serouj knocked out the lyrics in a day or so and sent it back.  I thought the vocal line was brilliant, so here we are!

You mentioned that the songs of the new album are “nasty” and exactly what you envisioned. What elements make this album stand out from other modern metal releases? 

The songs are recorded as written, and metal has something special about it in that the songs are intentionally rough, a metal album is supposed to sound so full of energy that it’s barely hanging together, we have that with these tunes.  There’s even some mistakes in there – I left them in there because that’s exactly what AI wouldn’t do! I mentioned earlier ‘slick production’ – I hate that for this type of music, ‘slick’ production belongs in less genuine styles of music – this is real, and we wanted it to sound real. Rev Jones (Bass) and Alex Rivas (Drums) have a thunderous drum/bass interplay that gave me a great foundation to work off of – I was so stoked when I heard how some of these tunes came out.  “New Wave of Destruction” which is our second single from this album is just a heavy riff with hints of doom and groove metal and it sounds monstrous.

How do you balance classic metal influences with a modern sound? 

It’s a simple as just being yourself – it’s much easier to be play something the way you would want to play it versus how you ‘think’ someone else might play it.  I really enjoy writing songs and seeing where they go – occasionally you’ll write something that might have hints of a classic style (Metallica, Pantera, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Sabbath etc.) and that’s cool as long as it wasn’t engineered to be that way.

Was there a specific song on “Give War a Chance” that became the defining track of the album for the band? Which was the most challenging track to record and perform on the new album?

“Among the Humble” is probably one of the cooler ‘defining’ tracks on the album, its got this cool gallop feel to it that bounces between the drums and guitar riff with this super awesome vocal line and some high notes from Ronnie.  Ironically enough, we didn’t have too many challenges when recording, I mean we were focused and prepared.  I remember watching Alex tracking drums in Hollywood and being shocked at how he was making quick work of his drum tracks.   Overall, for all of us the focus was the songs, and we gave them the time and space to exist (big ideas can’t live in small spaces).

The album title and band name both suggest an aggressive attitude. How important is intensity and confrontation in Gundriver’s identity? 

Metal bands are supposed to be intense musically, and the confrontation can be with your biggest enemy/ally – yourself.  The term “Gundriver” refers to attack helicopter pilots – a nickname that existed before I joined the US Army and flew Apaches, it may date back to the Vietnam era. We put an Apache on the cover of the album as a tip of the hat to the attack community so that people knew where the name came from.

What was the most memorable moment during the recording sessions for this album? 

When Alex was prepping to track one of the tunes he said “in this section here, you’re a beat off” – I responded “you’re a beat off!” and our engineer Charlie Waymire just started laughing, I’m not sure if it was more Dethklok or Spinal Tap – maybe somewhere in between.

With such experienced musicians involved, were there any creative disagreements, and if so, how were they resolved? 

The way we run things, all ideas are welcome and the best one wins.  If we think a song should go in two directions, we can make two different versions of it – fighting is largely useless and prevents progress – if you have an idea, record it and away we go.  George Patton said “A good plan violently executed now is better than a perfect plan executed next week”.

With members having backgrounds in Rainbow, Michael Schenker Group, Tempting Fate and many other projects, what strengths does each musician bring to Gundriver? 

Rev Jones is worth his weight in gold – his bass tone has this unique feel where it seems to compliment every other member of the band – and he’s full of great ideas.  Alex and I wrote 90% of this album just bouncing ideas off each other and recording them – Alex is a great songwriter, some of the things I’m doing with a guitar lick or riff he suggested as we were putting this stuff together.  Ronnie’s a world class vocalist and truly great showman – his voice added a lot of character to the tracks and it’s great to hear him soar over these tunes.

Do you already have plans for live performances, and what can fans expect from a Gundriver show? 

We’re working that now, and when we can line up our schedules to support touring, we’ll publish those dates.  When you see us live, you’re going to get what’s on the record in a live format – no autotune, no backing tracks, just us playing these tunes the way they were meant to be heard.

What are your goals and ambitions for the band’s future?

World domination.

If you could describe “Give War a Chance” in just three words, what would they be and why? 

Power, courage, resolve.  The songs are strong and we’re glad we got it to the point where we could share them with the world.  When we started writing this album, we didn’t even have a singer – we just started out writing the tunes “If you build it, they will come” (field of dreams reference) and Resolve – it took us two years to find a singer to write with (Serouj Guidanian) as well as our final tracking vocals Ronnie Romero, but we decided come hell or highwater, this album was getting done and out to the world.

Το άρθρο GUNDRIVER – ARMED WITH RIFFS, RIDING INTO BATTLE! (interview) εμφανίστηκε πρώτα στο Myth Of Rock.

Already comprised of seasoned veterans of the heavy rock/metal scene, GUNDRIVER has added ex-Rainbow vocalist Ronnie Romero to the fold. Romero joins founding guitarist Tom Potter, drummer Alex Rivas (Tempting Fate) and former Micheal Schenker Group bassist Rev Jones for a lineup that combines world-class talent with a focused, aggressive sonic identity.

“I had a blast being involved in this new Gundriver album,” comments Jones. “It’s great to play with Tom & Alex again. It’s also great adding Ronnie to the band, his voice compliments the songs perfect, and I’m looking forward to singing these harmonies with Ronnie live. If you are a fan of straight ahead heavy songs, you should dig this album.”

The band’s guitarist shares his thoughts on the new addition and upcoming release, “These songs are nasty! With the addition of Ronnie’s vocals, the tunes are sounding exactly how we envisioned – straight ahead metal with searing vocals,” states Potter. “Everything clicked on this effort and its great to have Rev and Alex working so well as a rhythm section. We’re super proud of these tunes”

GUNDRIVER will release the album’s first single, “One Man Army” on May 21st.

The band will stream additional singles throughout the summer, leading up to the fall release of Give War a Chance.

Prepare yourselves. GUNDRIVER isn’t chasing trends—they’re delivering a statement.

For fans of: Metallica, Pantera, Black Label Society, Godsmack, Disturbed, Rainbow, UFO, Anthrax, A7X

GUNDRIVER is a modern metal project engineered for impact—built by seasoned musicians who understand both the craft and the cost of doing it right. Combining elite-level talent with a deliberate, no-compromise approach, the band is positioned to cut through an increasingly crowded heavy music landscape.

At the core of the project is founder Tom Potter, who drives the vision, direction, and execution of GUNDRIVER as both a band and a broader creative platform.

The lineup features internationally recognized vocalist Ronnie Romero (Rainbow, Michael Schenker Group, Elegant Weapons), whose commanding voice brings both melody and force to the band’s sound. Drummer Alex Rivas (Tempting Fate) delivers the technical precision and modern edge that defines the band’s sonic identity, while bassist Rev Jones (Michael Schenker, Leslie West, Paul Gilbert) anchors the low end with decades of professional touring and recording experience.

GUNDRIVER’s music is defined by massive riffs, tight arrangements, and a tone that blends classic heavy metal influence with modern aggression. Lyrically and thematically, the band leans into confrontation—challenging listeners rather than accommodating them.

With releases like “Give War a Chance,” GUNDRIVER signals its intent clearly: this is not passive listening. It’s a direct, high-volume statement.

Το άρθρο GUNDRIVER: ANNOUNCE ADDITION OF RONNIE ROMERO! εμφανίστηκε πρώτα στο Myth Of Rock.

Ronnie Romero is premiering a brand new single, “Eternally”, as part of his upcoming album “Backbone” that will land in stores on October 24, 2025 through Frontiers Music Srl.

photo by Iro Kalligeri (@irokalligeriphotography)

Το άρθρο RONNIE ROMERO – “ETERNALLY” εμφανίστηκε πρώτα στο Myth Of Rock.

Following the previously-released, epic solo track, “Advent”, by Gus G., the iconic guitarist and founding Firewind member has teamed up with exceptional singer Ronnie Romero (Rainbow, ex-Michael Schenker Group a.o.) for not just an extensive European tour and festival appearances, but also the brand new video single “My Premonition”!

Gus G. comments: “It’s been a while since I’ve collaborated with another artist and I’m really happy to team up with one of the best Rock singers of this generation, the amazing Ronnie Romero. Me & Ronnie have been friends for a few years and I’m glad we finally made some music together. I had recently finished this track that I worked on with my producer, Dennis Ward (Magnum, Unisonic, etc.) and I thought it would be perfect for Ronnie’s vocal style. If you’re a fan of Black Sabbath (Dio & Tony Martin era), then I think you’ll dig this one!
You can expect us to play “My Premonition” at the upcoming festival shows this summer, but also on our joint tour in Europe this Fall.”

Gus G. conquered global stages as Ozzy Osbourne’s guitarist from 2009 to 2017, contributing to the Grammy nominated album “Scream” (2010). As the founder of the melodic power metal band Firewind, he boasts two decades of success, ten studio albums and countless tours. A celebrated solo artist, Gus has released acclaimed albums like “I Am the Fire” (2014) and “Brand New Revolution” (2015), with his latest release “Quantum Leap” (2021).

Being a sought after player, Gus has appeared as a guest on other artists albums including Bruce Dickinson, Arch Enemy, Doro Pesch, In This Moment, etc.

Gus has also left his mark in the music world by collaborating with premier companies to release his signature gear. This includes Jackson guitars, Blackstar amps, Seymour Duncan, Randall to name a few. In 2020 he launched his own guitar pickup company, Blackfire Pickups.

He has appeared on the cover of every major guitar magazine publication (Guitar World, Young Guitar, Total Guitar, etc.) and accolades include the Golden God “Best Shredder” and German Metal Hammer magazine’s God of Riffs awards among others. In a world where only the best come out on top, Gus G. is one of the most respected and renowned rock metal guitarists of our time.

After “Advent”, “My Premonition” featuring Ronnie Romero, who is known as the frontman of acts such as Rainbow, Michael Schenker Group, Lords Of Black, Elegant Weapons or from collaborations with Simon Phillips (Toto), Steve Morse (Deep Purple) and Robby Krieger (The Doors), is the new solo single by Gus G., and one that showcases the extra-ordinary, multi-faceted talents by both incredible artists. Make sure to catch them live on tour together at the upcoming dates listed below!

Το άρθρο GUS G AND RONNIE ROMERO JOIN FORCES! εμφανίστηκε πρώτα στο Myth Of Rock.

 by Christina X
   photos by Christina X

It was a hot summer Friday, when the doors of Moni Lazariston opened up to the hundreds of people queuing to watch their favorite bands perform and everyone was cheerful and full of glee, waiting for the set to start. The evening began with Greek guitar god Gus G. and former Rainbow singer Ronnie Romero immediately getting the crowd worked up with their unmatched instrumental as well as vocal skills. Their gorgeous dynamics and musicianship stole the show and had everyone watching in awe. Gus G. was flawless, as he has always proven to be and gave every last bit he had to the crowd, who in response chanted his name and the lyrics to songs. Gus’ setlist consisted of numerous of his own tracks, some of his band, Firewind, and Rainbow covers. As the show went on and people got rowdy, none other than Steel Panther frontman Michael Starr joined Romero on vocals and wowed everyone. We were slowly approaching the end of Gus’ set and the band said their thank you’s and were on their way, leaving everyone in a haze.

There was a brief pause in between and that gave us a bit of time to prepare for the glam opera that was soon to be among us. Steel Panther took the stage, each one of the members getting cheered as they walked up the ramp. Their glitz and glamour was on show right from the get go and had people mesmerized. Steel Panther, who came to Greece for the first time, made Moni Lazariston fill up with deafening chants, I love you’s and countless signs in the crowd. The band’s banter in between tracks added to their glam and sleazy vibe and made it all more authentic. Tracks like “Asian Hooker”, “Gloryhole” and “Death To All But Metal” were immediate hits, having people jumping up and down to their nostalgic tune. Satchel even greeted the crowd with some newly learned greek of his and just as he joked, the band started playing a cover of “Crazy Train” by Ozzy Osbourne, with Gus G. coming out to join and unleash his pure power with that ever so catchy riff we all know and love. With scenes straight out of an ‘80s rock star movie, this show definitely took you back in time and served you with a side of glitter and hairspray. As the night slowly came to an end, Steel Panther called for the women in the crowd to come up on stage and dance with them, even having called one up to “write her a song” earlier.

With the vibes in the air still electric and hearts thudding, the band thanked us and left the stage, as a beautifully ominous feeling took over. The words in my head were repeating: this was a night I’d surely never forget!

Το άρθρο STEEL PANTHER, GUS G. FEAT. RONNIE ROMERO – MONI LAZARISTON, THESSALONIKI, GREECE – 12/07/2024 εμφανίστηκε πρώτα στο Myth Of Rock.