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.
Receiving End Of Murder
Byzantine Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
No chance for me to retrace innocence now washed away
An affair I forever reject, a puppeteer I soon will not forget
My hell is empty, the devil is here pulling my strings
Slithering silently
We suffer a snakes disease
Slithering silently
I'm searching for the moral hooks on which to hang my trust
No chance for me to retrace my good intentions drowned by lust
The levee deepens as the earthen dam begins to weaken
Surface a martyr today, a floating body tomorrow
Slithering silently
We suffer a snakes disease
Slithering silently
Smother out integrity
[Solo Tony]
I use this prosthesis one fucking last time
Then rip it away take back what's rightfully mine
We use this prosthesis one fucking last time
Than rip it away take back what's rightfully ours
Parasitic, lecherous
Maggots press their weight down upon you
Malignant, so cancerous
Stifling all you hold dear
You pierced the side and drank the wine and left me here to die
I long to lay my suffering down at the feet of my enemy
We bear the scars of the suppressed, revenge is for suppressors
I breathe in deeper today for your grip now loosened on my throat
Slithering silently
We suffer a snakes disease
Slithering silently
Smother out integrity no more
The lyrics to Byzantine's song "Receiving End of Murder" are about losing faith and trust in someone or something, and being taken advantage of by a manipulative individual. The singer reflects on the mistakes they have made, and the consequences that have followed. The imagery of a puppeteer pulling strings symbolizes the control that this manipulator has had over them.
The metaphor of a snake disease is used to represent the toxic and destructive nature of this person's influence. The singer is searching for a way to regain their moral compass and integrity, but is struggling to do so. The idea of martyrdom and sacrifice is introduced, suggesting that the pain and suffering endured may be a way to find redemption. In the end, the singer expresses a sense of liberation and release from this toxic grip, and a desire for revenge against their oppressor.
Line by Line Meaning
I got the news today I've lost faith somewhere along the line
I received news today that my faith has slipped away gradually
No chance for me to retrace innocence now washed away
I cannot regain lost innocence now that it is gone
An affair I forever reject, a puppeteer I soon will not forget
I refuse to accept an affair and I will soon remember the person who controlled me like a puppet
My hell is empty, the devil is here pulling my strings
I am in a state of emptiness and the devil controls me
Slithering silently
The harm caused by deceitful actions is unnoticed
We suffer a snakes disease
We are victims of treachery and deceit
Smother out integrity
Integrity is being destroyed
I'm searching for the moral hooks on which to hang my trust
I'm looking for a clear sign of trustworthiness
No chance for me to retrace my good intentions drowned by lust
I cannot recover my good intentions because they were ruined by my desires
The levee deepens as the earthen dam begins to weaken
The situation worsens as things begin to fall apart
Surface a martyr today, a floating body tomorrow
Today I risk becoming a martyr, tomorrow I risk being killed
I use this prosthesis one fucking last time
I will use this prosthetic one final time
Then rip it away take back what's rightfully mine
Then I will remove it and reclaim what belongs to me
We use this prosthesis one fucking last time
We will use this prosthetic one final time
Than rip it away take back what's rightfully ours
Then we will remove it and reclaim what belongs to us
Parasitic, lecherous
Harmful and disgusting
Maggots press their weight down upon you
Disgusting and harmful things are pressing down on you
Malignant, so cancerous
Harmful and growing worse at an increasing rate
Stifling all you hold dear
Smothering what is valued and important to you
You pierced the side and drank the wine and left me here to die
You have hurt me and abandoned me, leaving me alone to suffer
I long to lay my suffering down at the feet of my enemy
I wish to place my pain where my enemy stands
We bear the scars of the suppressed, revenge is for suppressors
We have the scars caused by oppression, but revenge is not the appropriate response
I breathe in deeper today for your grip now loosened on my throat
I can breathe a little easier today since your hold on me has weakened
Smother out integrity no more
Let's put an end to destroying integrity
Contributed by Caden O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.