Byzantine - Harbingers (2025) Hi-Res

Byzantine's 2025 album, Harbingers, is hailed by Ghost Cult Magazine as a strong return for the West Virginia metal veterans after an eight-year gap since The Cicada Tree. The album, produced by Peter Wichers, blends groove, progressive metal, and melodic thrash. Ghost Cult praises the "deep, commanding, and full of raw masculine grit" vocals and highlights the "calculated assault" of each track, underpinned by complex time signatures and seamless transitions. The band's musicality is noted as rarely found with such ferocity.

Dead Rhetoric describes Harbingers as a natural evolution for Byzantine, combining their knack for "vicious grooves" with increasingly progressive structures. Early singles like "Floating Chrysanthema" are cited for their "big, meaty grooves," while "The Clockmaker's Intention" demonstrates a more subtle build-up into powerful sections. "Riddance" is noted for its "blistering (yet technically proficient) grooves." The album also features a more progressive side with tracks like "Irene," which moves from a clean guitar opening to sweeping melodies and intricate riffing. Metal Addicts further emphasizes the album's varied nature, describing it as a "hodgepodge of Metal music and other kinds of heavy music," and commends the constant progression of guitar parts and leads.