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.
A Residual Haunting
Byzantine Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Each bone that breaks reveal a new point of stress to me
A catalyst of suicide, a wound to be dressed
Quiet on the set, your death has taken its turn to be in progress
[Solo Tony]
Squeeze the hammer slowly to bury our honesty
A catalyst of suicide, a wound to infect
Our death will be appreciated, swollen tongue forever
Laced with vitriol
Choking on the residue we leave
It's time to roll the bones
Your end I must advise
With confidence I sin
False grieving now begins
Belittles your demise
In minutes just a memory of faded apparitions
[spoken:]
These are the final words that will be penned from me
As empires rise, they do just fall
And history shall forever repeat
So now I dig deep into my black beating heart
And with open arms welcome you to oblivion...
The lyrics of "A Residual Haunting" delve deep into a dark and depressive subject matter. The opening line, "Crank the ratchet slowly to measure our inequities," can be interpreted as a metaphor for life where each turn of the ratchet reveals a new challenge or difficulty to overcome. The following line, "Each bone that breaks reveal a new point of stress to me," could be a reference to the physical and emotional toll that comes with facing these challenges, with the imagery of bones breaking representing the pain that comes with each new obstacle.
The phrase "A catalyst of suicide" repeats throughout the song, underscoring the theme of death and self-destruction. The lines "Quiet on the set, your death has taken its turn to be in progress" and "Our death will be appreciated, swollen tongue forever" further expand upon the idea of death as an inevitability that cannot be avoided. The final verse of the song is particularly haunting, as the singer acknowledges the cyclical nature of history and welcomes the listener to "oblivion".
Overall, "A Residual Haunting" is a bleak and introspective song that confronts the inevitability of death and the challenges of life.
Line by Line Meaning
Crank the ratchet slowly to measure our inequities
Taking deliberate and intentional steps to assess the injustices and imbalances in our society and within ourselves.
Each bone that breaks reveal a new point of stress to me
Every struggle or challenge that we face uncovers a new area of tension and difficulty in our lives.
A catalyst of suicide, a wound to be dressed
Something that triggers thoughts of self-destruction and leaves an emotional wound that must be healed.
Quiet on the set, your death has taken its turn to be in progress
Silence falls over the stage, as life comes to a grinding halt and death takes its place in the spotlight.
Squeeze the hammer slowly to bury our honesty
Slowly and intentionally destroying the truth and denying reality in order to maintain an illusion or preserve a false sense of security.
A song for dying swans reveals a path for me
Finding inspiration and hope for the future in the struggles and pain of others, even in the midst of loss and mourning.
A catalyst of suicide, a wound to infect
Something that triggers destructive and harmful emotions, exacerbating emotional pain and trauma.
Our death will be appreciated, swollen tongue forever
The end of life will be met with a feeling of gratitude, as if to say that death is a welcome relief from the hardships of existence.
Laced with vitriol
Filled with bitterness, resentment, and malice, as if poisoned by a toxic substance.
Choking on the residue we leave
Struggling to overcome the harmful effects and lingering impact of our actions, words, and decisions.
It's time to roll the bones
The moment has arrived to take a chance, to make a bold move with uncertain outcomes.
Your end I must advise
The end of life is imminent, and someone must be the bearer of this difficult and painful news.
With confidence I sin
Feeling a sense of assurance and certainty in taking actions that are morally wrong or harmful to others.
False grieving now begins
Responding to loss or tragedy with a feigned sense of sadness or regret, masking genuine emotions with a pretense of mourning.
Belittles your demise
Using words or actions that diminish the significance or importance of someone's death, making it seem trivial or insignificant.
In minutes just a memory of faded apparitions
In a matter of moments, our existence and impact on the world become nothing more than a dim memory or ghostly apparition.
These are the final words that will be penned from me
This is the last message I will leave behind, a lasting legacy and the culmination of a life's work.
As empires rise, they do just fall
No matter how powerful or influential an entity may seem, its ultimate downfall and collapse are inevitable.
And history shall forever repeat
The patterns of the past will continue to reassert themselves and shape the future, despite any efforts to break free from them.
So now I dig deep into my black beating heart
Searching within oneself for the darkest and most hidden aspects of the soul, in order to confront and overcome them.
And with open arms welcome you to oblivion...
Embracing the unknown and the inevitable end of existence with a sense of acceptance and peace, as if to say that death is simply an extension of life itself.
Contributed by Charlotte D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.