Byzantine broke up before their time, mere days after the release of their magnum opus Oblivion Beckons. I cried.

But today there are so many good things to report that I can barely contain my excitement! To start, Byzantine are recording a new record — jubilation! They’re doing it with the “definitive” Byzantine lineup, and yes, that includes ex-departed guitarist Tony Rohrbough — double jubilation! And to top it all off they’re financing the whole thing themselves via Kickstarter, so you — YOU! — can donate to the cause and get something cool back in return while you’re at it.

Here’s the official statement from the band via their Facebook page:

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I thought I was the last living blogger to give a shit about now-defunct West Virginia progressive metallers Byzantine. Not so! NoCleanSinging.com’s “MadIsraeli” recently put together a Byzantine career retrospective covering all three of their albums, complete with YouTube embeds of a few choice songs and, naturally, his own commentary. If you’re familiar with Byzantine, get familiar right quick; they’re one of those overlooked bands that didn’t get nearly enough love due simply to time and circumstance (wrong time, wrong place).

So what are Byzantine up to these days? The band reformed for a series of shows in 2010 around their home state after breaking up in 2008; I’m still waiting for them to come up to NYC. Ex-guitarist Tony Rohrbaugh recently released a solo instrumental album which you should most certainly check out; it doesn’t sound like Byzantine, but you can definitely tell one of the dudes from Byzantine wrote and plays on it, if that makes sense. And that’s about it. I’m just trying to do my part to make sure Byzantine’s legacy isn’t lost from the metal history books.

-VN

As far as I’m aware, MetalSucks is the only opinion-based site (read: site that doesn’t copy and paste every press release in any way related to metal) to give a flying about Byzantine in 2011. They haven’t made a record since 2008′s Oblivion Beckons, but oh lawdee, what a record that was! It was the perfect synthesis of brutality and beauty, crushing power and carefully sculpted melody, and good Jebus, the songs! The songs were top notch. I still spin Oblivion Beckons whenever the mood strikes and I’m instantly taken to that place where FUCK YEAH, life rules!

Byzantine broke up mere days after Oblivion Beckons was released which is no doubt why it never really got its due. The band got back together for some local reunion shows in 2009 before lead guitarist Tony Rohrbough announced his departure in 2010. The remaining three members have pledged to carry on the Byzantine name and record a new album.

Meanwhile, Rohrbough has been busy doing his own thing.

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I may be the only journalist still covering Byzantine’s every move, but quite frankly it’s everyone else’s loss. What you all are missing out on is one of 2008′s best albums in Oblivion Beckons.

Guitarist and vocalist Chris “OJ” Ojeda” apparently doesn’t agree with my assessment; according to reader Rob K, who was at the band’s show in Morgantown, WV this past weekend, Ojeda claimed* the band will soon be recording a new record and that they didn’t have fun making Oblivion Beckons. According to Rob, the band does not wish to deal with any record labels this time around and will be perfectly content selling CDs out of their cars.

So apparently Byzantine’s future won’t be limited to sporadic shows in their home state as previously offered, which is great news by me since I plan on going to see them in West Virginia right about never. I can’t say what effect co-founder/guitarist Tony Rohrbough’s departure from the band will have on their material, but the band seems to have settled on a replacement in ex-Split Nixon axeman Brian Henderson.

Naturally you can expect more Byzantine news on MetalSucks as it comes our way.

-VN

*Whether he said this to Rob in person or announced it to the audience isn’t clear.

Damn you, Byzantine. You broke up 4 days after releasing the masterwork that is Oblivion Beckons without touring in support of it at all, then you re-united two years later and have since only played a series of 3 shows (live footage!) in your home state of West Virginia. And now you’re playing yet another one I can’t and won’t go to, X-Fest, in West Virginia once again. Damn you, Byzantine, DAMN YOU!

-VN

No thanks: Matthew Sparks

In case you, like me, are still sour about not being able to attend any of the three Byzantine reunion shows in their home stage of West Virginia — or even if you did attend and had an out-of-body experience — here are a couple of more fan-filmed live videos. These two were shot at the 3rd and final show in Morgantown, WV on Sunday, March 7th, and were filmed and sent in by MS Reader Josh Hoversten who traveled all the way from fucking Madison, WI to catch two of the three gigs!! Says Josh:

The Huntington show was flawless, the Morgantown show they were playing without monitors and when I spoke to them before the gig they mentioned being really tired.  Still, amazing live band.  I can see why they had promotional issues, there’s no way in hell I’d go on stage after them.  Also, very nice guys all around.

Josh’s videos after the jump. You can also check out previously posted footage from the Huntington show on Saturday, March 6th here.

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How time flies. Seems like I was just writing about the return of Byzantine for 3 reunion shows in their home state of West Virginia, and here we are 4 months later and those shows have come and gone. According to our readers the reunion shows were as great as everyone anticipated they would be, allowing the band to finally play material from 2008′s incredible Oblivion Beckons live as well as songs from 2005′s …And They Shall Take Up Serpents and their first album The Fundamental Component. Suckalo DR4331 sent us videos he shot of the band tearing it up in Huntington, WV on Saturday night and promises more from last night’s Morgantown show.

Check out “Hatfield” from the first album below and “Nadir” from Oblivion Beckons after the jump. They sound tight as hell (despite a flub or two), especially considering the band only rehearsed once as a full unit in preparation for these shows. Really wish I could’ve gone down to witness at least one of these performances, as it’ll likely be the last chance I have to see material from Oblivion Beckons performed live… and I love that album so, so much. I love watching footage of reunion shows like this because the band — and the audience — are visibly SO PSYCHED.

-VN

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When Byzantine announced a string of three proper “farewell” shows last year to take place in March of 2010, those dates seemed impossibly far away. Suddenly March 2010 is upon us and those three West Virginia shows are this week; an email from self-professed “loyal Suckalo” Rob McGinnis containing a link to an interview with the band made me that much more bummed I can’t attend, especially given the fact that I own property just across the state line in Carter County, KY. But I’ve yet to build my house there and the current cold weather means camping is not an option. Motherfucker.

I recently went back and listened to Byzantine’s swan song, Oblivion Beckons… and it’s lost absolutely none of its muster. That album is just so fucking good all the way through and I stand by it as my pick as the #3 best metal album of 2008.

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Lambgoat is reporting that West Virginia prog metallers Byzantine will be reforming for a series of 3 “farewell” shows in March 2010. The reunion comes more than two years after the sudden split that followed the release of their highly excellent album Oblivion Beckons, which earned #3 honors on my Top 10 list for 2008. Oblivion Beckons was a near-perfect record, a progressive American metal masterpiece; because the band broke up four days after the album was released they never had a chance to tour it and the record never got its due. Until now… sort of.

Vocalist/rhythm Guitar Chris “OJ” Ojeda had this to say about their upcoming reunion: “2 and 1/2 years ago we put a sudden and abrupt halt to our musical careers under the name Byzantine. It was a really anti-climactic way to go out. We know a lot of fans and friends alike felt cheated that we didn’t play any shows supporting our last album, ‘Oblivion Beckons.’ Now, we all feel like it’s time to give a little something back, all guns blazing. Unfortunately, we are unable to tour since we live scattered across 3 states, have children and full-time jobs, but we want to give our local fans something to remember us by.”

While this doesn’t seem like a full-fledged reunion, at least the band will be getting together to play a series of shows for their fans, all 3 in March of next year in their home state of West Virginia. Dates are listed after the jump, although tickets aren’t yet on sale. Here’s to hoping these shows lead to new Byzantine music, because I’ve a feeling they’ve got a lot left in the tank.

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2008 has been a fucking great year for metal, and in due time — Monday, Dec. 15, to be exact — Axl, myself and the rest of the writers of MetalSucks will all release our Top 10 year-end lists so you can incessantly argue over which great album was left off or tell us we’re assholes for ranking a certain album higher than it should’ve been.

But for now, ya’ll can argue about something else: here’s my personal short/working list for said year-end list containing all of my favorite metal releases from this year as well as a few that aren’t likely to make my own list but will surely be appearing on others’. Feel free to pipe in with your thoughts or to notify us of any egregious omissions before we put together our final, ordered lists. Regardless, it is going to be really fucking hard to pick just 10 of these and put them in order of awesomeness.

And, my favorite metal records of 2008 in no particular order are…

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“Sand and Snow,” the new song by Light this City, is currently streaming on the band’s MySpace.

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I can’t believe I forgot to include Byzantine’s Oblivion Beckons in my Early Top Albums of 2008 list, because finding out that it came out in 2008 (I had thought it was late 2007) was actually the inspiration for writing the post. What a fucking great album, and a grower too, getting better each time. Read what I had to say about it here. Then go buy it right away!

-VN

So this weekend I listened to Byzantine’s excellent album Oblivion Beckons — which came out on January 22 of this year, four days before the band broke up — and then when it finished, I listened to it again. It’s that good. Since reviewing the record in early March, this album has really grown on me — not that I didn’t like it then, because my review was certainly favorable — but holy fuck, Oblivion Beckons is one monster of an album that isn’t getting nearly the recognition it deserves.

Guys: PAY ATTENTION TO THIS ALBUM. I was raving about it to Frank @ Metal Injection on Friday, and to Axl the next day. No one seems to give it the time of day most likely because the band broke up so soon after its release.

Byzantine is like a proggier, smarter Lamb of God — it’s got the same groove metal aspect, but it’s more dense and more dynamic. Think what would happen if Lamb of God drew Opeth as an influence over Pantera, and you’ve nailed it. Best of all, there’s nary a trace of metalcore. I literally cannot get enough of this album right now.

Take a listen to “Centurion” on their MySpace page, but please note that the first several songs posted there are older material which I don’t think is quite as good as the new stuff.

-VN

For their third full-length release Oblivion Beckons, Byzantine have conjured up a damn fine record, and by breaking up right after its release have ensured at least something of a legacy for themselves. Musically this band is totally on-point; groove-based Pantera / Lamb of God-influenced metal mixes with something more progressive and heady like Nevermore — or even at times Meshuggah — for a riff-based affair that’s fresh, brutal, and will definitely get you moving your head. The band chugs forward, each musician quite talented at their fare, from punishing grooves and poly-metric passages to catchy but never-predictable choruses. Vocally, I have some real issues with frontman Chris Ojeda. Ojeda proves on Oblivion Beckons that he is a versatile singer capable of many styles. His screams vary from are bowel-inducingly brutal to screachingly ear-shattering (in a good way) and his clean singing is quite good too; but all too often he results to some kind of half-scream/half-sung voice that aims to sound badass but just ends up sounding more like a vomiting rabbit. It makes me cringe every time.

Fortunately the rest of the band members are there to save the day; Tony Rohrbough (guitar) and Matt Wolfe (drums) often play in perfect chug unison but aren’t afraid to split apart for some prog flavor. Some of Rohrbough’s guitar work — as in the scorching solo of the title track, the intro to “Expansion and Collapse,” and the clean ending of “The Gift of Discernment” — is truly fresh. I actually revised that last sentence at least 5 times because I kept wanting to add in songs that have awesome guitar work, but shit, I’d just end up listing every song. Seriously, Rohrbough’s work is so fresh and inventive, and he nails it through and through with both leads and rhythms. But then there’s that fucking rabbit voice again. Ugh.

Anyway, if you can turn off the part of your brain that listens to vocals, this is a fucking great album. If you’re into singers or are a singer yourself suffering from LSD, this probably isn’t for you. But either way it’s a pretty good record. Maybe if and when Byzantine regroups they’ll hire a new singer.

-VN

(three and a half out of five horns)

-VN

[Byzantine on MySpace]

Byzantine are a band I think I should like more than I actually do like – but I know some people go absolutely ape shit for them. Their new album, Oblivion Beckons, is still a few weeks away from a legal release, but in the meantime The Underworld already has it for free download.

Oblivion Beckons gets its official release on Prosthetic on January 22.

It sounds a lot like Pantera. Shocker.

-AR