Charleston, West Virginia metal stalwarts BYZANTINE have unleashed their haunting new single, “The Unobtainable Sleep”, the latest preview from their upcoming full-length Harbingers, due out June 13 via Metal Blade Records.
Fusing the band’s signature groove-laced aggression with ethereal melodies and poetic darkness, the new track is a meditation on death—serenity through finality. It also features a stellar guest solo from Russian guitarist Andrey Gadzhibalaev, and some Jerry Cantrell-inspired harmonies from guitarist Brian Henderson.
“This song title is a dark and poetic definition of death,” Henderson explains. “OJ had a few riffs laying around inspired by Extol, Carcass, and Fear Factory, and they fit perfectly together. We specifically wrote an extended solo section to allow our friend from Russia… to perform a beautiful guest guitar solo.”
💀 Watch the lyric video for “The Unobtainable Sleep”:
Harbingers: A New Chapter in the BYZANTINE Legacy
Produced by Peter Wichers (Soilwork, Nevermore, All That Remains), Harbingers comprises nine tracks of forward-thinking heavy metal. Weaving thrash, groove, prog, and death metal into an unmistakable blend, this release marks BYZANTINE’s seventh full-length and their first as a five-piece, with founding vocalist/guitarist Chris “OJ” Ojeda joined by returning guitarist Tony Rohrbough, bassist Ryan Postlethwait, drummer Matt Bowles, and dual shredder Brian Henderson.
The artwork, created by Ashley Hoey, depicts Irene of Athens, the first female empress of the Byzantine Empire—a visual tie-in to the album’s name Harbingers, meaning “those who usher in great change.”
A Legacy of Evolution and Resilience
Discovered in the early 2000s by Lamb of God’s Chris Adler, BYZANTINE made waves with their genre-bending debut The Fundamental Component (2004), followed by …And They Shall Take Up Serpents (2005), and Oblivion Beckons (2007). After a brief breakup, they re-emerged stronger, independently releasing Byzantine (2013) and To Release Is To Resolve (2015), with the latter dominating SiriusXM’s Devil’s Dozen and hitting #1 on the CMJ Loud Rock Chart.
Their 2017 Metal Blade debut The Cicada Tree solidified their place in modern metal, but Harbingers promises to raise the stakes even higher.
“If you’ve slept on BYZANTINE for the past twenty-five years,” Ojeda declares, “Harbingers will awaken you.”
🔥 Harbingers drops June 13 on CD and digital via Metal Blade Records.
👉 Pre-order now at metalblade.com/byzantine
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