Photo by Jason Adams
West Virginia metal veterans BYZANTINE are excited to announce the release of their highly anticipated new album, “Harbingers”, scheduled for June 13 through Metal Blade Records.
Produced by Peter Wichers (known for his work with Soilwork, All That Remains, and Nevermore), “Harbingers” features nine tracks, delivering forty-five minutes of profound lyrical insight paired with powerful riffs. This marks a significant moment for the band, as they are now a five-piece lineup for the first time—comprising founding frontman Chris “OJ” Ojeda, former guitarist Tony Rohrbough, bassist Ryan Postlethwait, veteran guitarist Brian Henderson, and drummer Matt Bowles. Ojeda remarks, “After twenty-five years of riding the struggle bus, we’re ready to show the rock and metal world what we’re truly about.”
The album cover, created by mixed-media artist Ashley Hoey, beautifully illustrates Irene of Athens—the mother of Emperor Constantine and the first female empress of the Byzantine Empire. This imagery connects poignantly to the album’s title, “Harbingers”, which refers to “ones who usher in great change.”
The record’s debut single, “Floating Chrysanthema,” envisions a grim future where artificial intelligence gains sentience and subsequently dominates humanity. Ojeda explains, “Our bassist Ryan brought this song to the band, and we thought it hit like a sledgehammer making it the perfect introduction to our new music. Peter Wichers had a big hand in helping craft this song into its final iteration.” Watch the music video for “Floating Chrysanthema” HERE.
“Harbingers” will be available on both CD and digital formats, with preorders now open at metalblade.com/byzantine.
Track Listing for “Harbingers”:
1. Consequentia
2. A Place We Cannot Go
3. Floating Chrysanthema
4. The Clockmaker’s Intention
5. Riddance
6. Harbinger
7. The Unobtainable Sleep
8. Kobayashi Maru
9. Irene
BYZANTINE’s journey to creating “Harbingers” has been marked by challenges and triumphs. Discovered early in their career by Chris Adler of Lamb of God, the band released their debut album, “The Fundamental Component”, in 2004, blending Bay Area thrash with Southern groove metal. Their follow-up, “…And They Shall Take Up Serpents” (2005), showcased an even more intense evolution. However, turmoil led to the band’s breakup soon after the release of their third album, “Oblivion Beckons”, in 2007.
After reuniting, BYZANTINE released independent albums “Byzantine” (2013) and “To Release Is To Resolve” (2015), with the latter gaining significant recognition on SiriusXM’s Hard Attack Devil’s Dozen and topping CMJ’s Loud Rock Chart—making them the second independent band to achieve this following Clutch’s “Earth Rocker”.
In 2017, they made their Metal Blade debut with “The Cicada Tree”, enhancing their signature sound, which seamlessly fuses various genres into a progressive groove metal experience. With “Harbingers” raising the stakes, Ojeda confidently concludes, “If you’ve slept on BYZANTINE for the past twenty-five years, “Harbingers” will awaken you.”
Current BYZANTINE Lineup:
– Chris Ojeda – vocals
– Brian Henderson – guitar, vocals
– Tony Rohrbough – guitar
– Ryan Postlethwait – bass, vocals
– Matt Bowles – drums
BYZANTINE:
metal blade records:
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