Byzantine-Oblivion Beckons

2008
Prosthetic

West Virginia's Byzantine have released their third album and quite honestly it's boardering on being incredible. This album manages to be and do so much without seeming fake or overeager. Everything about this release comes across as being natural and this album has so very much to give. There are elements of death, progressive, thrash and classic metal yet all are played with the same high level of intensity and give the same amount of importance. Despite the different styles that are used, the band still manages to move to and fro with the greatest of ease while pounding out and building the songs. The vocals go from death metal to clean, but truly powerful without loosing any momentum at all. On top of all this each song has it's own real personality and that's probably the real kicker about this album. Byzantine pull off the basic and the complex and utilize both while getting the most out of everything they are cranking out on this release. They have managed to use their obvious technical skill, their energy and their creativity and put all of that into a very cohesive and mind boggling product. I think this album will just get better each time I play it because I think it's one of those type albums that just gets better with repeated plays. I have heard a few albums so far in 2008 and almost all of them have been good, but this is the first great release I have heard so far in 2008.


http://www.myspace.com/byzantine