Sunburst – Manifesto (2024)

The time has come for the return of the Greek Progressive/Power metallers Sunburst, 8 years after their debut Fragments of Creation. It was almost guaranteed that the team would give us a good album, but to put simply, with Manifesto they over delivered and stood upon any expectations.

You see, the band has two powerhouses within its ranks. Gus Drax is one of the most skilled and acclaimed Greek guitarists. A brief passage from Paradox but mainly the permanent position in Thrash legends Suicidal Angels, have allowed him to unlock his full potential and cement his status as a musician of global level. You can’t go far without a good vocalist and here is where Vasilis Georgiou comes in place. Perhaps he has grown tired of hearing this comparison, but I have to repeat it as I view it as the highest of honors: His tone bears a great resemblance to Roy Khan and combines the best of all his periods from the high notes of 90s Conception, to the warm performances of Kamelot. 

The music of Manifesto blends its two genres in a way that utilizes their most important virtues. From Prog, it gets its technical expertise and complex compositions that create songs that do not fall under 5min in duration. What Power lends, is a ton of emotion, beautiful melodies, and a strong theatrical element. Fortunately they went for the good parts while avoiding the pain points. 

Despite the duration of the songs I never felt that something was forced into the final result, everything had its purpose. That is what I believe the biggest win of the album, its tracks do not have just a strong chorus, an impressive bridge or any isolated good parts. Each minute has its graces and everything is interesting! As a natural effect of this, Manifesto will feel fresh even after many repeats, so if you choose to invest in it, it will compensate at its fullest. 

It would be a sin to omit the ace in the sleeve of Sunburst. I am talking about the production of Steve Lado, who has done a great job of giving the album a chance to compete on an international level. I have witnessed countless cases of local bands having material worthy of going abroad, but are held back by that. If the statement of a reviewer, that a band of his country releases a record of global standards, is valid only 20% of the time, Sunburst without a doubt earned themselves a place in that small percentage. 

I have said what I had to, I leave the rest to the band, because they have many things to tell through their music. In its category, Manifesto will end up among the best works of the year. It is not limited to the enjoyment of Prog/Power fans though. As a matter of fact, anyone that likes the refined side of Metal should experience it. Bundle it with the great cover and you have a complete work of art!

92/100

Pavlos Pavlakis

On behalf of Metal Domain