Band:	Sunburst
Album:	Fragments Of Creation
Style:	Power metal, Progressive metal
Release date:	February 26, 2016
A review by:	Dream Taster

01. Out Of The World
02. Dementia
03. Symbol Of Life
04. Reincarnation
05. Lullaby
06. End Of The Game
07. Beyond The Darkest Sun
08. Forevermore
09. Break The Core
10. Remedy Of My Heart

When I saw that a new band was opening up their first album with a track called "Out of the World", I figured they needed the chops to back it up. The band Sunburst from Larissa, Greece convinced me within twenty seconds. Their brand of progressive power metal had me on board so fast I can already tell you this is going to be an album of the year contender for 2016. It is that simple. Why?

Imagine the good parts of Dream Theater music meeting Nevermore crushing guitar riffs and solos with a vocalist who could tour with Kamelot. It also reminds me of Symphony X and Evergrey. I mean no disrespect to the actual musicians of Sunburst by using all these comparisons. Their music is so in league with the aforementioned bands in both creativity and execution it is hard to conceive that Fragments of Creation is their debut album.

Singer Vasilis Georgiou does sound amazingly like Roy Khan in his Conception years, which is a huge compliment since I always thought that no one could ever sound as great as him. His master class vocal delivery is definitely a highlight. Gus Drax on guitars lays down killer riff after killer riff, and some ultra-dynamic solos that rival the best of the top bands in the genre. Echoes of Jeff Loomis, John Petrucci and Michael Romeo can be heard through the songs. Kostas Milonas on drums and Nick Grey on bass provide an ultra-solid rhythmic foundation that has nothing to envy from more established combos like Nevermore and Vanden Plas. Bob Katsionis from Firewind-fame added his special touch on keyboards to really cement Fragments of Creation as a very solid effort.

The songs are complex yet mesmerizing. Chosen moments include "Dementia" a perfect example of what a prog power hit single should be, "Beyond the Darkest Sun" a shiver-inducing instrumental tour-de-force, and the last track called "Remedy of my Heart", an epic 12-minute journey that brings the record to a close in an impressive fashion. The heavy modern production adds a lot to the songs. And on top of it all the cover art and booklet are beautiful.

So there you have it. Look no further for my staff pick of the month and an amazing album of progressive power metal that should top the charts in 2016. Fragments of Creation will make waves in the musical world and establish Sunburst as one of the best newcomers. Again, this is album of the year material, pure and simple.