Interview with Gus Drax of Sunburst

Sunburst return with their new work "Manifesto" and remind us that they are still on the ramparts and can stand out with their quality and dynamics. The new album, it's a masterful combination progressive metal and melodic elements, offering an acoustic experience that is both intense and exciting. With intricate guitar riffs, powerful vocals and dynamic compositions, the band pushes their musical boundaries, creating a sound that is both complex and accessible. Each piece is painstakingly crafted, highlighting their technical skill and emotional depth. “Manifesto” is not just an album, but a journey through soundscapes that are both haunting and inspiring, promising to move fans old and new. Get ready for an epic ride that redefines modern metal and enjoy our chat with Gus Drax.

To begin with, I would like you to tell us a few things about yourself so that our readers can get to know you even better.

Good Evening. We are Sunburst. We play Cinematic Progressive Metal and we just released our 2nd album titled “Manifesto”.

How did you choose this name and what do you want to tell the world through your music?

We were looking for a name for a while. We still had some ideas and options but none of them made the "click" we wanted. Once Sunburst was found we just knew it was it.

What we want is to express our artistic concerns and create beautiful Music that will evoke emotions in listeners and connect with it.

The band formed in 2010. What have been the biggest challenges you've faced over the years and how have they shaped you as a band?

Like any band, we overcome obstacles in order for the band to continue to create and exist.

The daily problems of each of us, our lives, we had losses of our own people that definitely affected us obviously a lot and definitely affected our Music as well.

The pandemic was of course another issue that affected the whole planet and of course us too.

What do you listen to and to what extent have they influenced Sunburst's style?

We have a lot of sounds with a wide variety. Too many bands and artists both from the Metal spectrum but also completely outside of it such as Soundtracks, Jazz, Pop and others and I think this is also reflected in our Music.

However, all these sounds are just influences for us, we're not trying to sound like anyone, we want to sound like Sunburst.

In 2016 you released “Fragments of Creation”, which received very good reviews. However, it took several years to release your new album “Manifesto”. What happened during these years?

The Pandemic certainly affected us as well as the whole world but certainly, it is not only that. Our attention to detail and how much work we put in played its part.

Our lives play their part. From here on Vassilis and I play together in Black Fate with whom we released the album "Ithaca" in 2020. I know that the CD doesn't say Sunburst from the outside and that it's not the same band, but that's what I want to say , is that Vassilis and I haven't stopped working on Music since 2016. So there may not have been a Sunburst album released in these years but we have literally been working non-stop. By nature and because Music is my profession, I can work on more than one project at a time. Vassilis, by nature and because of his daily obligations, prefers to deal with one thing at a time. From here on the "Manifesto" has been ready for some time but everything in the industry takes longer now. It took longer, but we're happy to be back here and proud of the work we've done.

Which song from the new album would you describe as the most evolved version of the Sunburst sound?'

I can't say one because I don't think it's enough. I will tell you "The Flood", "Nocturne", "Inimicus Intus" and "Samaritan".

How did the recording process evolve from “Fragments of Creation” to “Manifesto”? Have there been changes in your approach?

The recording process had no major differences. It was similar. The composition and pre-production process was different.

This time I did it with Bob Katsionis in his studio, which helped a lot.

From here on, what we tried to do is to do everything a little better in every process of the album, from the composition to the mastering.

We succeeded judging by the final result and we are very happy about it.

How has your experience of performing live and touring over the years influenced your new album?

Definitely too much. Playing the tracks live we saw which elements of our music were the ones that the audience "appreciated the most".

These elements agreed with the elements we wanted to keep from our Music and build on them.

And that's what we did. We took these elements, went full Progressive and evolved our ideas and added more through the experimentation we always like to do.

What is the main theme of the lyrics in "Manifesto" and where do you get inspiration for your lyrics?

We deal a lot with people, their daily problems, psychology and emotions. We raise social but also religious questions while, in tracks like "The Flood" for example we deal with social media, fake personas and "celebrities". It's not clear at first reading but now that I've told you, if you read the lyrics it's clear what we're talking about and also our ... aggressive tendency towards them. From here on, something we try to do is that our lyrics are open to interpretation. We love it when people come and tell us their own interpretations of the lyrics, which may have nothing to do with our reasoning but which for some reason make sense. I think that in this way a person connects more deeply with our Music.

Does “Manifesto” include any songs that pay tribute to an event or person that influenced the band?

Not directly. That it can be some part or part of it or some verse influenced by some person (and even more specifically, the losses I mentioned above) can. But we have no direct reference to a person or an event.

What was the most challenging track for you on the new album in terms of composition and performance?

I would say that most of our tracks have one or some parts that are harder than the rest of the track.

It is not necessarily a piece that is difficult from start to finish.

Certainly Flood and Nocturne had enough work in all aspects and I still remember that the last part of the solo of "From The Cradle To The Grave", the fast string skipping I do there (for guitarists this) is the highlight of the album which took me the most takes to get it exactly how I wanted it to be.

In your opinion, does the internet in this day and age help or hurt Metal bands?

It sure helps. It is a means to promote your Music anywhere in the world. If you use it right you can be heard literally anywhere.

It definitely helped us.

The way the scene is shaping up today what do you think about small labels and the music industry.

I never generalize in such things. I've seen small companies do AMAZING work for a band and an album they release and "big" companies do nothing.

Each is a separate example and the most important thing is what a company can do for a band and how high you are in their priorities.

What are your plans for the future?

Definitely a lot of gigs to promote “Manifesto” and Sunburst in general.

Thank you where for your time, Do you have one last thing to say to Metalourgio readers.

We thank you very much for the hospitality. I hope to see you all at one of our concerts.

Be well.

The interview was conducted by Vangelis Farris