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George Kollias (drummer)

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George Kollias
Background information
Born (1977-08-30) 30 August 1977 (age 46)
Corinth, Greece
GenresDeath metal, black metal, gothic metal, thrash metal
Occupation(s)Drummer
Years active1990–present
Websitegeorgekollias.com

Giorgos "George" Kollias (Greek: Γεώργιος "Γεωργι" Κόλλιας; born 30 August 1977)[1] is a Greek heavy metal drummer best known for his work with American technical death metal band Nile. He is the first Nile drummer to perform every song on more than one full-length album (handling drum duties on all the band's albums since Annihilation of the Wicked). His sponsors include Zildjian cymbals, Evans, Vic Firth, and Axis Pedals; the last with whom he released his signature bass drum pedals.[1][2] In addition to being the drummer of Nile, he also teaches drums at the Modern Music School in Athens.[3]

Biography

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Kollias was born in Corinth. He started playing drums, self-taught, at the age of 12, covering songs of his favorite bands like Sepultura and Slayer.[4] Around 1999, he started drum lessons with Greek drummer Yannis Stavropoulos, who was a big influence on Kollias.[5]

His early inspirations include Lars Ulrich, Richard Christy, Paul Bostaph, Pete Sandoval, Dave Lombardo, Igor Cavalera, Gene Hoglan. Later his taste expanded to different drummers like Vinnie Colaiuta, Dave Weckl, Steve Gadd, Thomas Lang, and Mike Mangini.[6][4]

He previously drummed for Sickening Horror, a death metal band. He also used to be in the Greek melodic death metal band Nightfall but left the band in 2005 to join Nile.

Kollias made an instructional drumming DVD called Intense Metal Drumming that was released in July 2008.[7][8]

He has a brother named Iraklis Kollias, who was the guitarist for the band Extremity Obsession.[9]

Technique

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Kollias uses a foot technique in between heel up and heel down. His heels remain close to the bases of the pedals, but only his toes and the balls of his feet actually touch the pedal board. All the weight of his legs fall on the balls of his feet. When playing at slower bpms, Kollias's legs do the vast majority of the movement of a kick, moving up and down as much as the pedal does itself. However, as his speed increases, the heels of his feet move less and less, until the bpm is high enough that all the movement of the pedals stems from his ankles. Once he gets up to speeds that are this fast, he employs a swivel technique. In this technique, he uses his feet to keep count of the beats he has hit, moving his ankles to the right side of the pedal and then swinging them over to the other side of the pedal. In this way, as he explains, the extra energy that one's legs waste when they work so hard is utilized.[10]

Kollias's hand technique gives him great precision as well, though it is not nearly as individualistic as his foot technique. Kollias grips the stick fully with his index through his ring finger, letting them stretch forward and wrap around the stick. He does not use his thumb and index finger to create a swivel. Instead, all of his speed stems from his wrists, much like his ankle usage in the kick.[11]

Discography

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With Nile

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Further information: Nile discography

With Cerebrum

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  • Spectral Extravagance (2009)
  • Cosmic Enigma (2013)

With Sickening Horror

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  • When Landscapes Bled Backwards (2007)

With Nightfall

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With Extremity Obsession

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  • Extremity Obsession (Demo, 1996)
  • Everlasting (Demo, 1997)

With Deus Infestus

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  • Swansongs For This Stillborn Race (2010)

Personal releases

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  • Intense Metal Drumming DVD (DVD, 2008)
  • Intense Metal Drumming II DVD (DVD, 2012)
  • Invictus (LP, 2015)

With ADE

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  • Spartacus (2013)

With Týr

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  • Valkyrja (2013)

With Contrarian

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  • Predestined (2014)
  • Polemic (2015)
  • To Perceive Is To Suffer (2017)
  • Their Worm Never Dies (2019)

With Demonstealer

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  • This Burden Is Mine (2016)

With Black Water Sunset

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  • Engraved Spectral Aeons (2023)

References

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  1. ^ a b "George Kollias". Drummerworld. Retrieved 9 August 2014.
  2. ^ "George Kollias (Greece)". Drum Festival Switzerland. 2014. Retrieved 20 February 2022.
  3. ^ "George Kollias". Pearleurope.com. Archived from the original on 30 September 2011. Retrieved 20 October 2011.
  4. ^ a b "[Interview] George Kollias (NILE)". Ginnungagapmetal.de. Retrieved 9 August 2014.
  5. ^ Bender, Frank. George Kollias – Exclusive OnlineDrummer.com Interview Archived 25 September 2010 at the Wayback Machine onlinedrummer.com. 26 June 2009. Retrieved on 2010-07-18.
  6. ^ "INTERVIEW: George Kollias – Nile". THE ROCKPIT. 21 October 2019. Retrieved 10 January 2021.
  7. ^ "George Kollias – Intense Metal Drumming DVD (part 1) preview". Youtube.com. Archived from the original on 13 December 2021. Retrieved 20 October 2011.
  8. ^ "GEORGE KOLLIAS-INTENSE METAL DRUMMING DVD-OUT NOW!!!: Intense Metal Drumming preview". Youtube.com. 12 July 2008. Archived from the original on 13 December 2021. Retrieved 20 October 2011.
  9. ^ "» George Kollias Biography, Drum Videos and Pictures | Famous Drummers". Drumlessons.com. Retrieved 9 August 2014.
  10. ^ "George Kollias Foot technique". YouTube. 30 June 2006. Archived from the original on 13 December 2021. Retrieved 20 October 2011.
  11. ^ "George Kollias Blast Beat". YouTube. 11 July 2009. Archived from the original on 13 December 2021. Retrieved 20 October 2011.
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