Pure Power Metal: Burning Sun Discuss Power to Survive and Their Worldwide Journey

Pure Power Metal: Burning Sun Discuss Power to Survive and Their Worldwide Journey

Burning Sun may be scattered across Hungary, Germany, and Chile, but their passion for pure, unfiltered European power metal pulls every member into the same blazing orbit. With their third album Power to Survive arriving August 21st on Pride & Joy Music, founder Zoltán Papi and new vocalist/guitarist Nicolas Peter open up about the band’s unlikely origins, their global lineup, collaborations with heavy hitters like Herbie Langhans and Alexandra Lioness, and the creative fire that keeps Burning Sun pushing forward. What follows is a conversation filled with humor, honesty, and the kind of determination that defines true underground metal.

First of all, introduce yourselves and tell me what you do in Burning Sun.
Zoltán: Okay, I suppose I should start, since I founded this whole thing. I’m Zoltán from Burning Sun, and I’m the bassist. I’m also the main concept and lyric guy.

Nicolas: Hello, I’m Nico. Starting with the upcoming album, I’m the new singer, and I also play a little bit of guitar on the record. That’s what I do.

Where are you guys based out of, and what is your metal scene like there?
Zoltán: Well, the project was founded by me, so officially it’s Hungarian — but only half the band is actually Hungarian. The other half is scattered around the world. For example, Nico is in Germany, and Pancho is in Chile. As for the scene here… when it comes to power metal, it’s basically a boring wasteland. Unfortunately, I have to say that. We do have some bands I like, but I really miss strong power metal from Hungary. That’s why I’m proud to say Burning Sun is a Hungarian project — at least we can wave the flag of power metal high, by our humble standards.

And Nico, there’s definitely a power metal scene in Germany, right?
Nicolas: You could say that, yes. Of course, you think more of Germany in terms of modern power metal, but Hungary has its fair share of great bands as well. I think of Wisdom — they were a favorite of mine. And Zoltán never fails to suggest new Hungarian bands to me, because I definitely don’t need to introduce him to any German ones.

So you have a new album about to come out on Pride & Joy Music. How did you wind up connecting with Birgitt and signing with Pride & Joy?
Zoltán: That actually started back in 2017 or 2018. I was working on a compilation of Helloween songs, and while searching online for people who could contribute a tribute track or two, I found this guy on YouTube with his project called Eternity — which eventually didn’t come to fruition. But he had a great Helloween cover I really liked, so I asked if I could use it for the compilation. That’s how we started talking. Eventually it all culminated in me asking Nico if he wanted to start a project with me. This was back in 2020, I believe. He was very interested. We started a project, but that also didn’t come to fruition. However, some of those songs live on the third Burning Sun album, which is coming out August 21. But I’ll let Nico talk.

Nicolas: Yeah, that Helloween cover lived forever on the compilation. It wasn’t that great, honestly, but it led me to get to know Zoltán, and we stayed in contact over the years. As he said, we tried to do a project together, which unfortunately didn’t come together. But what did happen is that Zoltán continued on and started Burning Sun shortly afterward. We remained in contact, and I think it was early 2024… I had been pretty productive during COVID and had a lot of songs on my PC. I eventually recorded everything in early 2024 and showed it to Zoltán. He said, “This stuff’s cool — maybe we should do something with it.” I ended up giving all that material to Burning Sun, and you can hear it now on the third album, Power to Survive.

Zoltán: He’s kind of underplaying it. I was blown away. Originally he said, “Remember the songs we did back then? Well, I recorded them — and some more.” I listened with my jaw dropped. There were no vocals yet, just instrumentals, but they were already so good, so epic, so catchy. I immediately wanted him to join Burning Sun — and bring his songs with him. The funny thing is, he actually recorded a song back then that was meant for the first Burning Sun album in 2023. I asked him if he wanted to contribute something, but he was really busy, so I didn’t expect anything. He had a great idea but couldn’t complete it at the time. That song — originally meant for the first album — is now on the third one. And it’s a fun song too. It’s called “Light of the World.”

The new album is called Power to Survive. Is there any overall story or concept behind that title?
Zoltán: Story? No. Concept? Yes. The second album was a full story concept album from beginning to end. But this time I wanted to do something different — something that allowed me to explore different topics without restricting myself to one narrative. I always have concepts in my mind, though. When we were talking about album titles, I don’t remember what Nico suggested, but I remember this phrase popping into my head: “Force to Survive.” I heard it in a Grave Digger song — “The power of metal is a force to survive.” I thought, okay, this is cool, but it’s not quite right. We need Power to Survive. It’s meant to represent the idea that this album gives you something uplifting — something that helps you survive bad days, depression, difficult situations. It’s meant to give you strength. That’s why it’s called Power to Survive. And the artwork reflects that as well.

You have Herbie Langhans on one of the songs. I had the honor of interviewing him when he was out here in Los Angeles with Firewind — what a cool and very talented guy. What was it like working with Herbie, and how did he become involved with the song “Emaly’s Hymn”?
Nicolas: I think I saw on Facebook that he left Firewind — I don’t remember exactly when, maybe early in the year. I thought it might be a good moment to approach him about a feature. We basically just contacted him. Of course we were aware of his work — Firewind, Sinbreed, his first band Seventh Avenue, all his work with Avantasia and Edguy, and God knows how many choir parts he’s sung. He was a total professional. I don’t think it took him more than two or three days to deliver the files. And it was clear from the start: if we got Herbie on the record, this should be the first single.

Zoltán: It’s also an interesting story. We were thinking about inviting someone we liked and respected. The problem with those guys is either they’re not approachable or they’re very expensive. But Herbie was really, really cool. I remember hearing him for the first time in Sinbreed — the video for “Dust to Dust.” I don’t know if you remember that one, Ken. It blew my mind. How can someone sing like that? And the fact that he’s singing my lyrics… it’s hard to put into words. We absolutely needed him for “Emaly’s Hymn.” That’s why we moved it to the first single — and I think it was a wise choice. It’s a song we wrote back in 2020. It has new lyrics now, but it’s the same song. Basically, almost everything that started this whole cooperation between Nico and me culminated in “Emaly’s Hymn.” And now we have Herbie on it. I mean… come on.

I know — he’s astounding.  Now, you also have Alexandra Lioness on one of the songs — from Jenner and Frozen Crown — on the track “Over and Beyond.” How did that come about?
Zoltán: I’ve been in touch with Alexandra since… I don’t even know, maybe 2015. That’s when Jenner was basically starting out. They had a two‑track demo I really liked. Back then I was doing a fanzine for about ten years, and I was working on the second issue. I reached out to congratulate them on the demo and maybe do an interview. That’s how we connected, and we’ve sort of been friends ever since. I really respect what she does. When we talked about “Over and Beyond,” it’s basically a love song, and I said, “Okay, we need a female voice here.” I kept pestering Nico to recommend singers. And I believe, Nico, you were the one who said, “Why don’t you just ask Alexandra?”

Nicolas: Yeah, I don’t actually know how I thought of it, but if I remember correctly, she was featured with guitar solos on the first and second Burning Sun records. Of course she’s mainly known as a guitarist, especially now that she’s joined Frozen Crown. But I really liked — I think it was the second Jenner album? — where she actually took on the vocals. So I thought it might be a cool idea to ask her to sing instead of delivering a solo. And it turned out very nice. She’s actually a pretty good singer.

Has Burning Sun done any live shows yet, or is that something you might want to look into in the future?
Zoltán: This question always comes up. People say, “It’s cool that you have albums, but you really should do live shows.” No, we haven’t done anything yet, and it’s not in the cards at the moment. I’m not saying I’m not dreaming about it — but I’m just not there instrumentally. Editing something, recording something, tricking around in the studio… that’s a whole different game than standing there and playing forty minutes straight. I’m not ready for that. I’m not saying it will never happen. It’s in the back of my mind, very ominous. Eventually I think it will — but not now.

And Nico, what are your thoughts on performing live?
Nicolas: I would love to do it, yes. But I have to agree with Zoltán. He actually learned to play bass for this project alone — he’s never done a live show himself. Speaking from experience, performing forty‑five minutes live on stage is a totally different beast, especially with technically challenging music. I’m not pretending we’re doing theater‑level stuff, but for a beginner bassist, this material is pretty hard. The other thing is that we’re spread all over the world. Pancho is in Chile, and the rest of us are in Hungary and Germany.

Right — I know you guys are scattered across the globe.
Zoltán: If I may add my two cents — I don’t think the distance is the biggest problem. Bavaria isn’t that far from where I live, so we could do occasional shows here and there. Pancho being in Chile is extremely difficult, yes. But I have people here who would be willing to perform with us. Our drummer is Hungarian, so we’d just need another guitarist — and I already have someone in mind. The main obstacle is myself, honestly. But I would love to do it one day — all four of us: Pancho, Nico, Eddie the drummer, and me. Standing on stage together, taking proper photos, shooting a proper music video… I still dream about that. I’m constantly scratching lottery tickets, hoping I win enough money to make it happen.

We’ll cross our fingers for that. Now Nico, you’re in another band called Tyran, and I actually found that I have your music — Tyran’s Oath — because you did promotion with another publicist I know. Are you still doing Tyran, and what’s currently going on with them?
Nicolas: Yes, I still do Tyran — I need a band to perform live with. We’re in the studio right now recording our second album. We’re pretty far along in the process. I’m already done with vocals, and a lot of the instruments are finished. I think just the guitars are missing now. Then we have to do all the other stuff — cover art, shooting a music video, everything. It’s all in the works. But you can definitely expect something from Tyran again next year.

And then you were involved with another band called Invictus — you released Eden in 2020. Is that still going?
Nicolas: That is actually still going, yes. We were kind of inactive during COVID because, well, life gets in the way. Our drummer became a dad, all that stuff. But we also have an almost finished record ready to release — we just need to put some finishing touches on it. Invictus is still strong and going, and you will hear something from us in the near future.

And Zoltán, are you involved with any other bands or projects outside of Burning Sun?
Zoltán: No. I mean, come on — it’s already enough with everything that has to be done for Burning Sun. It’s a small project, an underground project, but you actually have to do a lot of stuff even at this level. For example, the social media craze — I hate that. I do have more ideas that don’t fit into Burning Sun, so maybe one day I’ll have another project. But I’m more passionate about writing and things like that. So I’m not sure if my next outlet will be another band — it might be a book or something.

Do you guys have any messages for Burning Sun fans or power metal fans out here in the States who are reading this now?
Nicolas: Yeah, absolutely. If you American guys like European power metal — not U.S. power metal, that’s a different thing — then I think you’ll really enjoy the record. It’s as Euro‑power‑metal as it gets.

And the last word from Zoltán.
Zoltán: And also, an addendum — if you don’t like disco metal, this is not that kind of power metal.

Nicolas: Yeah, we should clarify that. We don’t have this weird synthy stuff. Just pure power metal.

Zoltán: Exactly — pure power metal. Obviously I want to thank everyone for reading this article and getting this far, and also for the overwhelming support. Believe it or not, Germany is number one when it comes to Burning Sun supporters — but the USA is a very close second. We get a lot of good feedback, and we really like the fact that you guys are listening. We hope the third album will open several doors for us among U.S. fans — that we might reach the ears we want to reach.

That would be cool — maybe do a tour or some shows over here. Just saying.
Zoltán: Yeah… even if I could do that, I must add that I hate traveling. I absolutely despise it. This is going to be my second time leaving the country — because this good man here is getting married. But thinking about traveling overseas… man, I don’t know. But never say never. Maybe there’s a good offer out there waiting for us, and then we’ll do it.

In Conclusion

As Burning Sun prepares to unleash Power to Survive on August 21st via Pride & Joy Music, the band stands at a pivotal moment — one fueled by international collaboration, unwavering passion, and a shared love for the soaring spirit of European power metal. Whether they eventually take the stage together or continue forging their path from across continents, Zoltán, Nicolas, and the Burning Sun crew have already proven that distance is no match for dedication. For fans in the U.S. and beyond, this new album is more than a release — it’s an invitation to join a band that’s fighting hard, dreaming big, and carrying the torch of power metal proudly into the future.

(Interview by Ken Morton)

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