Chris Ojeda: Vocals / Rhythm Guitar
Brian Henderson: Lead Guitar / Vocals
Tony Rohrbough: Guitar
Ryan Poslethwait: Bass / Vocals
Matt Bowles: Drums
With Harbingers, Byzantine has created what may be the crown jewel of their impressive seven-album discography. Frontman and founding member Chris Ojeda states, "After 25 years of riding the struggle bus, we're ready to show the rock and metal world what we're truly about. We've put all our chips on the table with Harbingers."
Produced by Peter Wichers (Soilwork, All That Remains, Nevermore), Harbingers delivers nine tracks totaling 45 minutes of deep lyrical wisdom alongside equally hefty riffs-worthy of one of the most commanding and unsung lineups to emerge from the New Wave of American Heavy Metal movement in the early 2000s.
The first single, "Floating Chrysanthema," envisions a bleak dystopian future where artificial intelligence becomes sentient and overpowers mankind. "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."
The second single, "The Unobtainable Sleep," weaves a dark and poetic tale about the pursuit of serenity through death. Blending hints of Extol, Carcass, and Fear Factory, the track also features guitarist Brian Henderson channeling Cantrell-style vocal harmonies. The band takes a bow for an extended guest guitar solo courtesy of longtime Byzantine comrade, Russia's Andrey Gadzhibalaev.
The third single and title track, "Harbinger," paints a pointed portrait of society's leaders consumed by greed, self-preservation, and the ruthless pursuit of power at any cost. Flanked by full-band gang vocals, Ojeda snarls: "Up the ladder they will dance, leaping over broken bones, Care not for the ones who are dead from the climb."
With groove-laden riffing, where guitars coil around the drums in odd yet familiar timing, the song makes room for another intense guest solo-this time from former member Tony Rohrbough. After the album was completed, Rohrbough was invited to rejoin the band he co-founded in 2000, making Byzantine a five-piece for the first time ever . The lineup now consists of Ojeda, veteran guitarist Brian Henderson, drummer Matt Bowles, bassist Ryan Postlethwait, and Rohrbough.
The album cover, designed by mixed-media artist Ashley Hoey, beautifully depicts Irene of Athens-the mother of Emperor Constantine and the first female empress of the Byzantine Empire. This focus on a maternal ruler eloquently ties into the album's title, Harbingers, which means "ones who usher in great change."
It has taken years of ups and downs for the Charleston, West Virginia band to reach the point of creating Harbingers. Discovered early on by Lamb of God's Chris Adler, Byzantine quickly released their 2004 debut, The Fundamental Component, delivering a raw fusion of Bay Area thrash and Southern-tinged groove metal-setting the tone for their future sound. Their 2005 release, …And They Shall Take Up Serpents, marked an even more blistering evolution. However, turmoil ultimately led to Byzantine's breakup, announced just one day after the release of their third album, 2007's prophetic Oblivion Beckons.
Reforming to release the independent albums Self-Titled (2013) and To Release Is to Resolve (2015), the band saw the latter dominate SiriusXM's Hard Attack Devil's Dozen for weeks, also earning them the #1 spot on CMJ's Loud Rock Chart. Notably, Byzantine became only the second independent band to achieve this feat-following Clutch's indie release Earth Rocker.
In 2017, Byzantine made their Metal Blade debut with The Cicada Tree, seamlessly merging multiple genres into their progressive groove sound-a signature blend now synonymous with the band. With Harbingers raising the stakes and a revitalized lineup in place, Ojeda confidently states: "If you've slept on Byzantine for the past 25 years, Harbingers will awaken you."
