Charleston, West Virginia’s groove metallers Byzantine will release their seventh album, Harbingers, on June 13, 2025, through Metal Blade Records. Produced by Peter Wichers (Soilwork, Nevermore), the nine-track, 45-minute record delivers deep lyrical insight and crushing riffs from their new five-piece lineup: vocalist Chris “OJ” Ojeda, guitarists Tony Rohrbough and Brian Henderson, bassist Ryan Postlethwait, and drummer Matt Bowles. “After 25 years, we’re ready to show what we’re truly about,” Ojeda says.
The lead single, “Floating Chrysanthema,” envisions a dystopian future where sentient AI overpowers humanity. “Ryan brought this song, and it hits like a sledgehammer,” Ojeda notes, praising Wichers’ role in shaping it. The video, directed by Jason Adams, is out now—watch and stream at metalblade.com/byzantine. The album’s cover, designed by Ashley Hoey, portrays Irene of Athens, reflecting the Harbingers theme of ushering change.
Pre-orders for CD and digital are available at metalblade.com/byzantine. With a discography spanning 2004’s The Fundamental Component to 2017’s The Cicada Tree, Byzantine’s progressive groove sound remains unmatched.