Album Review: Sunburst - Manifesto

The music industry is as much about timing as it is talent. We might not want to think about it in those terms, or admit our attention is quite so fickle, but there is an aspect to all of this where you have to be in the right place at the right time, again and again. Sunburst is a band that got some buzz in the prog metal world when their first album came out. I remember hearing people talk about the record, and they convinced me to give it a chance. What I heard was a record that was at the highest echelon of the genre. They were heavy and technical, but also filled with great melodies and gorgeous vocals. They were everything I was told Kamelot was when Roy Khan fronted them, but never were.

This is where timing comes into play. That record came out eight years ago. We are all different people than we were back then, with different things on our mind, and I wouldn't blame anyone for forgetting Sunburst was out there. Being quiet for that long is a recipe for falling off the world, as I have encountered other bands who were dormant and never came back. At a certain point, we almost need a proof-of-life message to remind us not to give up hope.

Eight years is a long time, but Sunburst is back, and it's as if nothing has changed. They still play the same brand of progressive metal that marries technical playing and soaring melodies, and the Khan-eqsue vocals are as wonderful as ever. The only thing missing on this record is the 'epic' track that is almost a requirement, but I'm glad they never stretched things out, as the long track on the first album is actually their worst song. Sometimes focus is a virtue, and this record remembers that all the way through.

At a tight (for prog) fifty minutes, Sunburst doesn't overstay their welcome. Dream Theater will likely have a new album by the end of the year to capitalize on their reunion, and I can almost guarantee it will be seventy-five minutes long, and I will want to chop at least ten or fifteen off of it. Sunburst wisely realizes that just because we have been waiting so long, they don't have to overwhelm us with quantity. Eight tight, hard-hitting songs is better than a looser album that features several passages of meandering notes that don't add to the composition.

What makes Sunburst so great is their focus on melody. While the rest of the band is playing complicated rhythms, the vocals are some of the most beautiful melodic singing prog metal can feature. If you remember the glory days of Ray Alder singing for Redemption, that's a good idea of what Sunburst is up to, although they pump up the melody even higher. In a genre not known for songwriting prowess, they show the eight years has been put to good use.

From start to finish, Sunburst doesn't miss a beat. This is, simply put, prog metal played as well as it can be done. I have a hard time imagining anyone else is going to be able to top them this year in that regard. I would also say that Sunburst has done something rather special in making an album that extends beyond prog. Yes, it helps it you have an appetite for instrumental flourish and technicality, but this record works just as well as a beautiful melodic metal record. In fact, it's better at delivering epic choruses than some of the more anticipated melodic albums I've reviewed this year.

All of that adds up to a simple statement; Sunburst has everything in place for another dose of buzz and success, except perhaps timing. It will be up to us to remember to listen to Sunburst, and not let them slip into the void of bands who missed their chance. That would be a shame, because we need bands who are this good to keep going. There aren't many of them in their world who can compete.