BLACK FATE, PARADOX and now SUNBURST; three names you'd associate with Greek musicians Gus Drax, the esteemed pupil of Greek guitar legend Ioannis Anastassakis, and vocalist extraordinaire, Vasilis Georgiou. If there's a new Greek metal band, these two lads are probably belting it together. In this particular instance, we get to enjoy the debut release from the latter band, titled "Fragments Of Creation", released under the same label as PYRAMAZE (Inner Wound Recordings). Removed from the quasi-progressive Power Metal of BLACK FATE and the sprawling and symphonic masterpieces of PARADOX, SUNBURST employs medleys of a joint FIREWIND-PYRAMAZE (new) nature, in a deliciously crunchy blend of Heavy Power Metal, embellished with melody and silky-smooth vocals. As opposed to INNOSENSE or PARADOX, what we have here is definitely vocal and guitar-oriented Metal.

Followers of the Vasilis camp like myself, will be the first to mention the similarity his singing voice shares with that of Roy Khan. Hell, the first time I heard a BLACK FATE song, I was convinced Roy came back to music. Before you start, no; that is not a judgement call on his originality as a singer. I can name as many similar-sounding pairs of singers as much of the next guy; it just so happens that his voice evokes that of my favourite singer of all time, and I'm allowed to indulge my fantasies a little.

I originally discovered the band through an ex-Temple writer, well aware of my love for BLACK FATE, when I was shown the album's single, "Dementia". Wherein the album's opening track felt like 'too much' of a too typical and safe Power Metal opening, the single in question features second and is where the album truly starts, as far as I'm concerned. When I hear a track that I think defines a band's sound, I am thinking of a couple of criteria: how it differs from the rest of the album, and how many throwbacks it forces my mind to make towards metal's been-there-done-that. As for the music within, it's fully of catchy and liquid grooves with an incredibly pleasant arrangement; when the heavy riffs aren't a-chuggin', the sky is beautifully laced with melody, often strewn in the atmosphere as opposed to being brought to the forefront.

Classic FIREWIND (these Greeks are on a roll) vibes abound in "Reincarnation", seemingly drawing from both the "Between Heaven And Hell" and "Allegiance" eras. The majority of the song is dominated by fast and aggressive Power riffs, with Drax's virtuosic guitar abilities smashing a few windows at key points. Interestingly, this is one of the few songs of the album where Vasilis adopts a more 'classic' style of singing, similar to his delivery in INNOSENSE (the one band he's in where I stop thinking about KAMELOT). I am definitely not complaining; nay, I would be perfectly content with Khan-school students fronting every band. But in "Reincarnation", Vasilis displays some versatility and aggression, which does wonders for rounding out the album. Come "Lullabies" I'm about to take back most of what I said, because most of what I was about to hear was beautiful invocations of "Epica"-era deliveries. The album's ballad track, it's a slow and cruisy lighter-(smartphone)-waver, containing Vasilis best vocal performance on the album.

"Beyond The Darkest Sun" offers something special, yet again, wherein the album's instrumental track has Gus bring the world's other guitarists to tears with sheer skill and versatility, one of the few guitarists (that, at least, I am aware of) that can truly force his guitar to 'sing', and while certainly capable and masterful of the style, doesn't oversaturate his music with fretboard hysteria. Shred-obsessed, take note. Another excellent piece that puts him in the spotlight is also the album's, arguably, most progressive track: "Break the Core", with jarring staccato riffs and unconventional vocal melodies.

Certainly one of the world's keenest and most talented songwriting duos to date with the luxury of surrounding themselves with expert musicians, the dream team of Drax and Georgiou deliver a new brand of metal, with yet another new band. "Fragments of Creation"'s myriad selling points leaves its two, relatively-forgettable tracks in the dust; however, that probably won't matter for those of you whom, like me, are too busy listening to Vasilis' Khan-like croons.