Byzantine
Byzantine is a Post-Thrash/Groove Metal band hailing from Charleston, West … Read Full Bio ↴Byzantine is a Post-Thrash/Groove Metal band hailing from Charleston, West Virginia. They formed in 2000, were signed to Prosthetic Records and have released four full length albums: "The Fundamental Component" (2004), "And They Shall Take up Serpents" (2005), "Oblivion Beckons" (2008), and Byzantine (2013).
As the third millennium got under way, heavy metal fans finally began emerging from their grunge fallout shelters and, having endured an additional period of oppression beneath the mostly horrific reign of nu metal, found some exciting new hard music alternatives before them, at last. Many were these fresh stylistic subsets rising to prominence (including metallic hardcore, neo-thrash, post-metal, and reinvigorated black and death metal scenes), but there were also a few bands too eclectic to categorize, and among the most inventive was West Virginia's aptly named Byzantine. Hailing from the small town of Chapmanville — population of 1,211 on the year of the census and the band's founding: 2000 — Byzantine started out as a trio comprised of vocalist/guitarist Chris Ojeda, bassist Chris Adams (both formerly involved with Morgantown-based thrashers New Family), and guitarist Tony Rohrbough, who were backed by a drum machine on their first few shows before securing the services of one Jeremy Freeman, who was replaced in short order by permanent drummer Matt Wolfe.
Several formative demos were recorded between 2000 and 2002, and the group signed an agreement with a small local production company called DK Entertainment, which went as far as financing the recording of Byzantine's would-be first album, but when they proceeded to sit on the unreleased masters for too long, the bandmembers decided to take matters into their own hands. In 2003, they self-released the six-song Broadmoor EP (named after the studio that spawned it) and were almost immediately scouted by L.A.-based Prosthetic Records, which sent them back into the studio to re-record the EP's songs, tack on four more, and thereby deliver Byzantine's official full-length debut, The Fundamental Component, released in February 2004. With its prejudice-free mix of clean and rough vocals, prog metal technicality, and hardcore aggression, the album didn't fit into any convenient metallic subgenre, and therefore made Byzantine acceptable touring mates for bands as diverse as Caliban, All That Remains, and Lamb of God (who had helped them connect with Prosthetic in the first place), while earning the band a prominent position in what was then being dubbed "the New Wave of American Heavy Metal."
Having already established an intriguing penchant for discussing historical and environmental issues relating to their Appalachian surroundings, Byzantine decided to get all biblical with the title of their sophomore album, ...And They Shall Take Up Serpents (inspired by a local preacher who liked to do just that!), which emerged in May of 2005 and was recorded as a trio following the departure of bassist Adams over the preceding winter months. His replacement, Michael Cromer, hit the road with the group immediately after the album's release, beginning with a headlining U.K. tour (clear evidence of Byzantine's growing popularity), then stateside dates with Eyehategod and Buried Inside, followed by the U.S.-roving International Extreme Music Festival (also featuring God Dethroned, Nightrage, Epoch of Unlight, and several others), before winding own the year with yet another trek dubbed Under the Underground. All of this grueling roadwork and the exposure it afforded for the band came at a bitter price, though, as guitarist Rohrbough decided he'd had enough, and had to be replaced by Eric Seevers for the last of these tours, as well as an appearance at the New England Metal Fest in April 2006 and subsequent dates with Still Remains, Agnostic Front, and, later, Kittie.
Then, Byzantine finally took a well-deserved break at year's end, but by February of 2007, Ojeda, Wolfe, Cromer, and a reinstated Rohrbough were already ensconced in the studio once again, initiating the four-month sessions for what would be their third and most adventurous album yet. In April, Prosthetic released the group's first DVD, Salvation, and then began posting a steady stream of information, cover art, and songs from the forthcoming LP, which was now officially entitled Oblivion Beckons, and whose release was abruptly postponed from that fall to early 2008. This indeed came to pass, but a mere week after the album's late-January release, Byzantine issued a statement announcing they could no longer function as a band and were therefore going their separate ways. More details were not forthcoming and only added to fan frustration over this unexpected turn of events, but when Ojeda began working on an album of classic thrash covers later that year, the reality of Byzantine's demise finally began sinking in, leaving only their influential three-album legacy to serve as some measure of consolation. However, they reunited in August 2010, with a new guitarist, Brian "Hendo" Henderson. Later on in 2012 original guitarist Tony Rohrbough rejoined permanently.
As the third millennium got under way, heavy metal fans finally began emerging from their grunge fallout shelters and, having endured an additional period of oppression beneath the mostly horrific reign of nu metal, found some exciting new hard music alternatives before them, at last. Many were these fresh stylistic subsets rising to prominence (including metallic hardcore, neo-thrash, post-metal, and reinvigorated black and death metal scenes), but there were also a few bands too eclectic to categorize, and among the most inventive was West Virginia's aptly named Byzantine. Hailing from the small town of Chapmanville — population of 1,211 on the year of the census and the band's founding: 2000 — Byzantine started out as a trio comprised of vocalist/guitarist Chris Ojeda, bassist Chris Adams (both formerly involved with Morgantown-based thrashers New Family), and guitarist Tony Rohrbough, who were backed by a drum machine on their first few shows before securing the services of one Jeremy Freeman, who was replaced in short order by permanent drummer Matt Wolfe.
Several formative demos were recorded between 2000 and 2002, and the group signed an agreement with a small local production company called DK Entertainment, which went as far as financing the recording of Byzantine's would-be first album, but when they proceeded to sit on the unreleased masters for too long, the bandmembers decided to take matters into their own hands. In 2003, they self-released the six-song Broadmoor EP (named after the studio that spawned it) and were almost immediately scouted by L.A.-based Prosthetic Records, which sent them back into the studio to re-record the EP's songs, tack on four more, and thereby deliver Byzantine's official full-length debut, The Fundamental Component, released in February 2004. With its prejudice-free mix of clean and rough vocals, prog metal technicality, and hardcore aggression, the album didn't fit into any convenient metallic subgenre, and therefore made Byzantine acceptable touring mates for bands as diverse as Caliban, All That Remains, and Lamb of God (who had helped them connect with Prosthetic in the first place), while earning the band a prominent position in what was then being dubbed "the New Wave of American Heavy Metal."
Having already established an intriguing penchant for discussing historical and environmental issues relating to their Appalachian surroundings, Byzantine decided to get all biblical with the title of their sophomore album, ...And They Shall Take Up Serpents (inspired by a local preacher who liked to do just that!), which emerged in May of 2005 and was recorded as a trio following the departure of bassist Adams over the preceding winter months. His replacement, Michael Cromer, hit the road with the group immediately after the album's release, beginning with a headlining U.K. tour (clear evidence of Byzantine's growing popularity), then stateside dates with Eyehategod and Buried Inside, followed by the U.S.-roving International Extreme Music Festival (also featuring God Dethroned, Nightrage, Epoch of Unlight, and several others), before winding own the year with yet another trek dubbed Under the Underground. All of this grueling roadwork and the exposure it afforded for the band came at a bitter price, though, as guitarist Rohrbough decided he'd had enough, and had to be replaced by Eric Seevers for the last of these tours, as well as an appearance at the New England Metal Fest in April 2006 and subsequent dates with Still Remains, Agnostic Front, and, later, Kittie.
Then, Byzantine finally took a well-deserved break at year's end, but by February of 2007, Ojeda, Wolfe, Cromer, and a reinstated Rohrbough were already ensconced in the studio once again, initiating the four-month sessions for what would be their third and most adventurous album yet. In April, Prosthetic released the group's first DVD, Salvation, and then began posting a steady stream of information, cover art, and songs from the forthcoming LP, which was now officially entitled Oblivion Beckons, and whose release was abruptly postponed from that fall to early 2008. This indeed came to pass, but a mere week after the album's late-January release, Byzantine issued a statement announcing they could no longer function as a band and were therefore going their separate ways. More details were not forthcoming and only added to fan frustration over this unexpected turn of events, but when Ojeda began working on an album of classic thrash covers later that year, the reality of Byzantine's demise finally began sinking in, leaving only their influential three-album legacy to serve as some measure of consolation. However, they reunited in August 2010, with a new guitarist, Brian "Hendo" Henderson. Later on in 2012 original guitarist Tony Rohrbough rejoined permanently.
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Byzantine Lyrics
A Residual Haunting Crank the ratchet slowly to measure our inequities Each bon…
Absolute Horizon Driven to the thorn Unaware of the dying to come Extinctio…
All Hail The End Times Hail the end time agenda Bail the black art agenda He wh…
Ancestry of the Antichrist A fabrication woven from a burning Bush Sent thousands to ex…
Brundlefly Genus specialized Could the unthinkable to alive Double heli…
Caldera Turn the page, fanning the flames of civil dissension Indig…
Catalyst It's the beginning of a beautiful end I drown again just…
Centurion To hold a pen is to be at war A calculated…
Cradle Song I breathe alone in silence I watch the common pass Lie in…
Deep End Of Nothing Listen closely to the sound of treachery Look deeply into t…
Devil's Arithmetic The Devil's Arithmetic I, I am your God Outkast the sun Scie…
Efficacy This world has whittled away my goodness A graying bitter m…
Everything I Touch Bursts Into Flame Explain my friend How the mighty falls again Hubris unboun…
Expansion And Collapse Waves of calm they washed me clean Detached, removed from th…
Filth of Our Underlings The filth of our underlings Shall never nourish me completel…
Five Faces of Madness I dreamt of heaven once It was a calm cool and…
Forged In The Heart Of A Dying Star Oblivion is thrust upon your xenophobic race A cosmic disgr…
God's Shame I'm alive and breast feeding the nation Line up the graves…
Hatfield Help I've been detained By these mountains that so poorly ra…
Jeremiad I rise above the human follies in my life You'll see…
Justicia I fire my malice into the crowd Dispersing empty shells ont…
Justícia I fire my malice into the crowd Dispersing empty shells onto…
Kill Chain I live to disrput, I live to destroy Now I target the…
Lowbrain I've detoxed myself from all life No one is in my…
My New Casket I'm not dead or alive My thoughts clouded in pristine A st…
Nadir As I bore for the depths of depravity A bottomless pit…
Oblivion Beckons Idle hands are the devils playground So let us inaugurate t…
Pattern Recognition Hunger for what's not there, eyeless congregation Blessed b…
Pity None Bruising minds burning thoughts over matter Your knees hit …
Posthumous Crawl inside my skin for just one day Watch the fear…
Purity I can't swim against these waters I can't keep afloat my…
Receiving End Of Murder I got the news today I've lost faith somewhere along…
Salem Ark Witch hunt is over Six lives are over Look to the father…
Sin Remover A rumble in distance mechanical whine So our lights can shi…
Slipping On Noise Condensed debris compressed into a world Circling star cutti…
Stick Figure Welcome to the skin you wear again The weeping wounds you…
Stoning Judas I break your bones for the lord today No physical demons…
Taking Up Serpents No religion persuades me but the religion inside of me I'm…
Temporary Temples You are removed from the future database No genetic code sha…
The Devil's Arithmetic The Devil's Arithmetic I, I am your God Outkast the sun S…
The Filth Of Our Underlings The filth of our underlings Shall never nourish me completel…
The Gift Of Discernment I'm drowning in darkness Someone, shine a light on me. Fix…
The Rat Eaters Oh God I feel I have lost my flock We are…
Unhook Me Some say that life is a game But through tragedy my…
Which Light Shall Never Penetrate Never will they take me alive What do you want from…