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Marios iliopoulos | Guitar | 16.12.69

Bands: Nightrage, ex –Exhumation

Influences: Iron Maiden, Metallica, Testament, Thin Lizzy, Death, Obituary, Pestilence, Jimie Hendrix, Eric gales, Stevie ray Vaughan, Xentrix, Sepultura, Pantera.

Sounds Like: Intense riffing , with very complex chords mixed with distortion, and heavy solos ala Adrian smith and Alex Skolnick. I use very heavy strings tune in C so i can have that edge that I want when it comes to perform the riffs and the chords, and the guitar can stay in tune.

Gear: Gibson Les Paul menace with EMG Pickups ; Gibson Les Paul Studio with EMG Pickups 81 Bridge & 89 Neck, ESP ECLIPSE-II VTB with EMG pickups and ESP V Standard with EMG 81 pickups, Jnunis guitar with EMG pickups, Amps: Randall V2, Randall XL cabinet RS412XLT, Korg DT-10 stage tuner, Providence cables H101 model, Samson AirLine Guitar - Wireless System,Boss Noise Suppressor NS-2, BBE Green screamer overdrive, Dunlop Marios signature picks Ultex .73, Strings: Elixir: 011, 016, 024 (wound), 036, 046, 068. Straps: Elixir

European melodic death metal outfit NIGHTRAGE have come full circle, and this time their pursuit of death metal excellence will have the entire metal community in agreement! After the release of "A New Disease Is Born," NIGHTRAGE looked once again to friend/producer Fredrik Nordstrom (Arch Enemy, Dimmu Borgir, In Flames, At the Gates) to record an album that defines the Melodic death metal genre. After two highly successful albums on Century Media (and one on their new label home Lifeforce), "Wearing A Martyr's Crown" will take everyone back to the glory days of the Gothenburg Metal scene.

The album mixes Marios Iliopoulos' frenetic guitar style, incredible riffing, eerie melodies and his trademark solos with the unmistakable Olof Morck providing astounding melodies and leads; the never ending punishment from vocalist Antony Hamalainen will remind fans of classic works such as "Slaughter Of The Soul" and "The Mind's I". With hard hitting rhythms laid down by the pulsating bass playing of Anders Hammer and the machine like drumming of Johan Nunez, no stone is left unturned by a band that knows exactly where it came from and exactly where it's going. "Wearing A Martyr's Crown" will go down in Melodic Death Metal history! Without a doubt it is the comeback of the decade in the melodic death metal genre.

The album's thrashy opener “Shed The Blood” starts out with atmospheric chants fused with eerie industrial noises composed by DRAGONLAND keyboardist Elias Holmlid, but after the song itself kicks in, it quickly assumes the shape of a metallic masterpiece. “Failure Of All Human Emotions” grinds like hellfire! Songs like “Wearing A Martyrs Crown” and “Abandon” (with smooth Hammond guest keys from Fredrik Nordstrom of DREAM EVIL) introduce some very emotional 12 string and acoustic guitars into the metal Nightrage mayhem. “Futile Tears” and “Mocking Modesty” (with a guest vocal appearance from Sakis Tolis of ROTTING CHRIST), surprise the listener with a more 80´s metal approach. “A Grim Struggle” kicks into the classic metal territory with the combination of hooks and brutality. The instrumental “Sting Of Remorse” is an ultimate epic full of incredible leads. This song also marks the return of longtime member Gus G FIREWIND to the Nightrage territory.

Since NIGHTRAGE was formed in Greece by Marios Iliopoulos (ex-EXHUMATION) and guitar hero Gus G (FIREWIND, ex-DREAM EVIL) many prominent figures of metal such as Tomas Lindberg (ex-AT THE GATES, DISFEAR, THE GREAT DECEIVER), Nicholas Barker (ex-DIMMU BORGIR, ex-CRADLE OF FILTH), Per Möller Jensen (THE HAUNTED), Mikael Stanne (DARK TRANQUILLITY), Tom S. Englund EVERGREY, and Jacob Hansen (INVOCATOR) have collaborated with the band.