Sunburst - Fragments of Creation (2016)

Ladies and gentlemen, let me introduce you to one of the most interesting newcomers I have heard in some time, the Greek power/progressive metal band Sunburst. Formed in 2010, this young band consists of vocalist Vasilis Georgiou, drummer Kostas Milonas, bassist Nick Grey, and guitarist Gus Drax (how many guitarists named Gus does Greece have?). A quartet of young guns, ready to take over the world with hooky melodies and crushing riffs.

To me, Sunburst's sound can be best described as a mix of Kamelot's stunning melodies, Almah's modern approach, and the great complex musicality of Symphony X. While the sound may seem like a mathematical formula to reach perfection, the band performs in such a way that it just feels natural that they are playing this type of music. It all fits together very neatly into place, making "Fragments of Creation" feel as smooth as silk.

"Out of The World" starts off the album, and it is certainly a track that lives up to its name. It is a very aggressive song, until you reach the chorus, that blooms out beautifully. Instantly showing off their whole repertoire, this album is the perfect statement from the band, saying that they are here and ready to take over the world. The album continues on in strong fashion, with the fragile and beautiful "Dementia", the insane riffing in "Symbol of Life", the tough "Reincarnation", and the soothing "Lullaby".

The first half is extremely strong and diverse, but the second half does not disappoint either. Here we have the instrumental "Beyond The Darkest Sun", where Gus Drax shows off a lot of his skill set, as if he didn't do that earlier in the album (which he did). It is an impressive instrumental that also follows the red line that goes through the album without any problem. We also get a grand finale with the twelve minute opus "Remedy of My Heart", a epic tune indeed, but the inexperience shows here since it does not feel fully coherent. Still, a valiant first effort.

It may be that Firewind brought metal to the folks in Greece to their attention, but Sunburst has taken it to the next level.This is hands down one of the most impressive debut albums I have heard in quite a while. Sunburst comes in like sunbeams through the clouds, and shines upon all of us with their blissful glow. "Fragments of Creation" is pure enjoyment, straight through all of its 55 minutes of play time, showing off so many neat little tricks just about everywhere. There is still some parts that needs to be polished, which is pretty insane, just how good can this band become in the next ten years? We have to wait and see, but for now, let us just enjoy "Fragments of Creation" and its magnificence.

Songs worthy of recognition: Out of The World, Symbol of Life, Lullaby, Beyond The Darkest Sun

Rating: 9,5/10 Dementias