Another fantastic Greek metal band has been located! Sunburst, will release its second album, Manifesto, on Inner Wound Recordings on June 14th.
Sunburst is made up of: Vasilis Georgiou, who sings lead vocals; Gus Drax, who plays lead guitars; Kostas Milonas, who plays the drums and Nick Grey, who plays bass.
Sunburst was formed in 2010 and inspired by bands like Dream Theater, Nevermore, Conception and Symphony X. Their debut album Fragments of Creation, was released in 2016 by Inner Wound Recordings and received fantastic reviews and feedback from fans and the media around the globe. The album received an impressive 88/100 review in the prestigious Burrn! Magazine in Japan.
After the album came out, Sunburst played a number of successful shows in Greece and Europe, and started to work on material for the follow-up to Fragments of Creation. During the following years, the members of Sunburst kept busy touring and recording with other bands. However, late in 2023 they finally completed their sophomore album entitled Manifesto.
This epic journey of cinematic progressive metal, begins with “The Flood”, which opens with some very cool Dream Theater-like electric guitar and synthesized orchestration surrounding the stage. Then, the Derek Sherinian-like keyboards enter, full force, along with Kostas Milonas’s power hungry drums. They set the stage well for Vasilis Georgiou’s first vocals. He sounds great, as he sings out the epic story of what could be the end of the world. The sounds of the music remind me of the Awake Dream Theater era, one of my favorites! The musicianship is second to none, until we hear the new Dream Theater album, currently under production. Georgiou’s vocals are a lot harder than James LaBrie. His range is deeper and that gives this music and album a different sound. But this is great Dream Theater-like music, to give us fans something great to listen to, and set the stage for DT’s new album.
I found the lyrics for “Hollow Lies”, the second song on the album. However, the song opens with powerful lead electric guitars, bass, and kick ass drumming. Then Georgiou sings, “I recall. An eerie dream. Pure as a child. Dark as a sin. Dreadful thoughts of a past. All I’ve touched has turned to dust”. The piano work is a perfect addition to the sound. Georgiou continues, “Everything I am. A pale shade of myself, I am. I’ve consumed every breath. I’m suffocating to death. When the darkness comes to life. Nothing gives me redemption. When the walls are closing in. I seek for truth in hollow lies. To comfort my pain. When the darkness falls. I will crave your forgiveness. When the walls are closing in. This lie will come to an end!” The guitar soloing, and all the support of orchestration and drums, really brings this song to a boil. A real blitz rocker, for sure!
“Samaritan”, is the slower, break we all needed. It open with some magnificent thunder guitar riffs along with those blasting drums. Then, Georgiou jumps in with vocals; as synths, bass, and drums batter your ears. An over 5-minute arc of fire, of electric guitar.
“Perpetual Descent”, actually opens with a very cool, soothing, slow electric guitar riff that is simply mesmerizing! The pace finally slows and Georgiou has time to develop a story within a song. One of the best songs on the album. The keyboard work is excellent. Just enough slow sections to give your ears a rest and allow you to ponder the story they are trying to convey.
The next song has a Latin title, “Inimicus Intus”, or the Enemy Within. It opens with power drums, keys, bass, and those dynamic electric guitar riffs. It is all straight at you, with few breaks. This time Georgiou has a little more time to deliver the story, with accentuated and varied vocal sounds. Instead of the yelling the lyrics, this sounds more like singing. We all fight some enemy from within that holds us back from experiencing life in its fullest. This song has a very Awake era sound to it as well.
“From the Cradle to the Grave”, is another of the best songs on the album. I found the lyrics for this song as well. Georgiou sings, “This is the end. The course of life itself. It’s time to leave. But how I wish that I could stay. And all my emotions are growing stronger. As my hands are getting colder. As lights are fading. How could I ever, How could I ever get enough of this? Such a wonderful journey”. All of this coming with powerful drums, orchestration, bass and that superb electric grinding guitar. The keyboards and orchestration are deeper and extended, on this song, making it one of my favorites. Georgiou continues, “From the cradle to the grave. Be brave. We should be brave and carry on. You know, it’s never easy. But it’s worth the pain, the sacrifice. For love. In these final moments. I won’t hold back my tears. As the end is getting near. As curtains are falling. A kiss goodbye. In the cyan sky, I lift my gaze. A farewell. Like a love song. Like a love song till the end!” Good advice, well delivered with lines of reason.
“Manifesto”, is the album title track and another of the best songs on the album. It opens with sound effects and screaming keyboard orchestration and blazing electric guitars. They slow things down enough to allow Georgiou to sing. He says, “I need something to fight for…a manifesto!” But don’t we all? We need some goals to get us through life. A great song about trying to set those limits in order to make the most of what life gives you.
“Nocturne”, is a masterful closer and I hope the song that points the new direction for the band. It opens with dynamic, cinema-like orchestration and power drums and lead electric guitars. It is a reason to buy this album and wait for the end. Like a drift back to “Space-Dye Vest”. There is a little of the same feel to it. Wanting to be epic, and leave something behind for fans to cherish and seek, from the next album. In fact, I hope the next album will have more of these nice interludes to break up the constant pounding of drums and grinding guitar. Other bands do it. Because they understand very few progressive metal listeners want non-stop thunder. There has to be some rain and sun, as well. This song has some of Georgiou’s best vocals. His closing vocals are the best on the album, by far. An over 7-minute sensation, that hopefully will be the path forward for this band.
More of the symphonics will build a fan base, like Dream Theater did, beyond metal. It was the engaging lyrics, stories, melodies, and keyboards, from Awake When Dream and Day Unite, and Images and Words, that took a progressive rock fan like me and turned him into a Dream Theater fan. I want to listen to more Sunburst, but I need more than a steady diet of red meat, i.e.…grinding guitar. Make this music as dynamic as they did on “Nocturne”, and they will draw limitless audiences to their door. Throw in an epic track or story from Greece. My gosh there are thousands, that most of us have heard, and probably more that we do not know of, from this rich seminal culture of the Mediterranean. Please find that story or song that will lift people out of their seats and have them running to the store to buy your album. I think this band has it in them. The question is, will they devote the time and effort to find it? I hope they will. Manifesto is a powerful statement that this band wants to fill the stages of the world. You have released your manifesto to drive harder, now find the stories that unlock the treasures we all desire to read and hear about in the music we buy.
Track List:
01. The Flood – 7:56
02. Hollow Lies – 5:44
03. Samaritan – 5:55
04. Perpetual Descent – 5:26
05. Inimicus Intus – 6:08
06. From the Cradle to the Grave– 4:56
07. Manifesto – 5:59
08. Nocturne – 7:18
The album was produced by Sunburst and Steve Lado, who also mixed and mastered the album. Bob Katsionis performs all keyboards on the album and John K came up with the orchestral arrangements on the songs “The Flood”, “Hollow Lies” and “Nocturne”. The artwork was created by Sunburst vocalist Vasilis Georgiou at (HALO Creative Design Lab). Manifesto was produced by Sunburst and Steve Lado. Mixed and mastered by Steve Lado. Artwork and layout by Vasilis Georgiou (HALO Creative Design Lab).
Distribution: Alive (Germany, Austria), Amped/Alliance (North America), Sound Pollution (Scandinavia), Plastic Head (UK), Sonic Rendezvous (Benelux), Socadisc (France), Audioglobe (Italy), and Non Stop Music (Switzerland).
Band Website and Social Media Links:
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/sunburstofficial
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sunburstofficial
Inner Wound Recordings Website: www.innerwound.com
Email: info@innerwound.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/innerwoundrecordings
https://innerwound.bandcamp.com/album/fragments-of-creation
YouTube and Music Video Links: