The Achitect: Stamatis Kekes (1969 – present)

Early days

Born in Romania in July 1969 to Greek parents, Stamatis spent his early childhood in Brăila before his family relocated to West Berlin in 1977. Long before he could read a clock, he possessed an innate understanding of musical rhythm and scoring, drawn initially to the drums and the accordion. In Germany, his formal introduction to music theory yielded exceptional marks, and the guitar claimed the first golden place in his heart. Alongside his musical awakening, he began practicing Japanese martial arts. It was in the vibrant, divided atmosphere of West Berlin that he first encountered rock and early heavy metal—a sound that resonated deeply and permanently altered his course.

When his family returned to Greece in 1982, the cultural landscape was jarringly different and largely hostile to rock music. Undeterred, he enrolled in the local conservatory in Alexandroupoli. He studied classical guitar and the strict foundations of music theory (Solfège), but the drums soon became his undeniable calling. With no drum instructors available in the region at the time, he taught himself the instrument, eventually joining the local band Power Age in 1989. After graduating with honors in Solfège, he set the guitar aside to focus entirely on percussion, learning to read drum sheet music under the guidance of Athanasios (Sakis) Fotiadis before fulfilling his Greek military obligations. Returning in the summer of 1992, he joined the rock and heavy metal cover band No Name in the Soufli area before leaving for Thessaloniki to study music and information technology.

Thessaloniki Era

In Thessaloniki, his musical education deepened significantly. He took private lessons with various instructors before enrolling at the Neo Odio under the supervision of Christopher Baka. Recognizing that piano proficiency was mandatory for classical harmony, he eagerly expanded his repertoire. During this prolific period, he performed with numerous bands, notably the progressive metal outfit Horizon’s End. He ultimately graduated with degrees in both Classical Harmony and Symphonic Orchestral Percussion—a remarkable feat, given the absolute absence of an official drum set curriculum in the Greek education system at the time. In 1999, a business opportunity led him to Athens.

Athenian years

The relocation required heavy sacrifices; without a practice space, he sold his instruments and stepped away from the music scene. By 2003, the toll of this absence pushed him back to his true passion. He acquired a new drum kit, resumed practicing, and eventually began teaching privately and at local conservatories. To meet the rigorous demands of his teaching positions, he attended the local branch of Berklee College of Music to earn his drumming instructor credentials. During this era, he also conducted extensive research alongside leading psychiatrists, exploring the profound relationship between music and the human psyche—the spirit, the soul, and our inner emotional world. After completing sound engineering courses, he built his own private practice space, recording initially for himself and soon operating as a highly sought-after session musician and composer.

The crisis and the crush

The Greek economic crisis brought sudden hardship to the music industry. As gigs vanished and students struggled to afford lessons, Stamatis was forced to adapt. In 2012, he relocated his equipment to his family’s home in a village near Soufli, once again hitting pause on his broader musical ambitions. He remained semi-active, joining the power metal band E.N.D. in the summer of 2013, and by 2014, he converted the ground floor of his inherited home into a dedicated studio.

Tragically, a severe motorcycle crash in 2015 sidelined him entirely. Following two surgeries on his right hand, his old playing techniques were no longer physically possible. It wasn’t until 2018 that he returned to the drum kit. Showing immense resilience, he rebuilt his playing technique entirely from zero.

Resurgence and birth of Velkorynth

He documented his recovery and technical reinvention through drum covers on YouTube, beginning with Deep Purple’s “Gypsy’s Kiss.” His channel became a public testament to his week-by-week improvement. This era sparked new international collaborations, culminating in Planetary Dream—a project featuring musicians from Peru, Italy, and Cyprus that produced a full-band cover of Dream Theater’s “Pull Me Under.”

By 2024, Stamatis was fiercely composing again, working on a symphonic progressive metal album he describes as the intersection of Dream Theater, classical music, and Yanni. As a multi-instrumentalist with a growing mastery of modern studio technology and advanced virtual orchestration, he realized he now had the tools to bring his most ambitious, massive concepts to life.

This revelation gave birth to Velkorynth. What began as instrumental compositions evolved into a towering storytelling and concept project. Velkorynth merges theatrical, progressive, and symphonic metal to weave a fictional narrative heavily inspired by the harsh realities of the modern world.

The mastermind behind the veil continues to compose in his studio, ensuring that the story of Velkorynth—and Stamatis Kekes—has many more chapters to be written.