Review by Jeger on June 11, 2025.

Charleston, West Virginia, USA's Byzantine - discovered by one Randall Blythe (Lamb of God) during the onset of the NWOAHM just following their official inception back in 2000, has proven to be a group of persevering artists. Said scene has all but dwindled away completely, but Byzantine just continues their Thrash/Groove-laden scourge. I remember the NWOAHM days: piss drunk on whiskey, stoned on weed and reveling in the chaos of the pit, as I bore live witness to some of the movement's heavyweights. I was in my twenties, and the world was mine for the taking.

We owe much to bands like Lamb of God, God Forbid and Byzantine. They kindled a fresh blaze of retaliation towards what had become a Nu-Metal-infected US Metal scene. Byzantine has rather successfully carried that torch through the US's transition into a nation that now purveys some of the world's most respected Extreme Metal. Yes, bands like Disturbed and Slipknot linger, but only for people who don't understand the importance of Metal in its true forms. On June 13, Byzantine will release their seventh LP, "Harbingers", via Metal Blade Records.

With "Harbingers", Byzantine has chosen not to stray far from their traditional concepts. We've got societal collapse, power-starved global leaders and an AI takeover, all backed by those hefty grooves/riffs that we've come to appreciate over the course of the past two and a half decades. Production quality is what you should expect from a major label-backed group: sanitized and glaring. Vocalist and founding member, Chris Ojeda, rips out a Kyle Thomas (Exhorder) like vocal attack that fore-drops a rather malignant contribution from the guitars and the rhythm department. These riffs are stock and the drumming is vanilla. There's a bit of atmosphere to take in, which provides a reprieve from the dull nature of the album. That's not to say that "Harbingers" is a total snoozer. Take the final moments of "Floating Chrysanthema" for instance. If only the rest of the album was as intense and nuanced, but no, we get "The Clockmaker's Intention"… Brutal riffs failing to distract you from awkward choruses. Creepy robotic vocal effects struggling to provide the track with some much needed substance.

Folks of a lesser-tier of Extreme Metal connoisseurship will certainly appreciate the record's headbanging parts. My 25 year old self would've enjoyed this album a little more, but not by much. Some aspects of it that make it tolerable are its progressive elements in tracks like "Riddance" - the album's high water mark in my opinion. But man, this is brutal, but in a bad way…

Just dumb it down a bit… Then you can maybe appreciate "Harbingers". Byzantine is a talented bunch, and it shows through each member's obvious adeptness, but you can have this one. I won't fight you for it. I guess there's a reason why the NWOAHM movement grew stale. This would've been considered a great album 20 years ago. Nothing wrong with a little Nevermore worship though. You'll hear plenty of that on "Harbingers", just without the same depth and character. A valiant effort, an aspirant show of skill, but a dud nonetheless. Like Evan Williams compared to Jack Daniel's. You'll drink it if you have to, but you'll ultimately regret it the next day…

Rating: 6.2 out of 10

Review by Jeger on July 2, 2025.

Atmosphere - your very surroundings. Have you ever paid much attention to what surrounds you? The trees, a waterfall or the architecture of the buildings around you. Depending on where you are at any given time, the atmosphere surrounding you can stir up a sense of nostalgia, longing or joy. The same can be said of music. There's usually more to it than what appears at surface level, unless the artist has purposefully created a piece that should be experienced one-dimensionally. Within the realm of Atmospheric Black Metal, you'll discover art of the multilayered kind. What is aggressive or even violent at the surface is offset by the majesty of the sphere. Baser emotional conjuring below, transcendence above and when these elements converge, magic happens…

There are a vast number of Atmospheric BM projects/bands out there whose art has, over the years, inspired wonder within the hearts of those who embrace it: Sear Bliss, Wolves In The Throne Room and Grima to name a few. For these collectives, the art of BM is one that is beholden to the above - that place where flight takes place, or where gravity overwhelms. Mistily ethereal one moment, blanketing in its overbearance the next. There's power in the atmosphere! And Ukraine's Eskapism is one project that places an emphasis on this. On August 1, Eskapism will release their third LP, and their debut for Naturmacht Productions, "Skresnava".

Skresnava is symbolic of a fissure in the fabric of the Universe wherefrom darkness and evil spew forth. And much as how this evil has permeated our world, so too has Eskapism made a name for itself upon the ABM scene. But apart from the shadows, there's that familiar sense of majesty to behold within Eskapism's art: the enchantment of a spell and the yearning of an ages' desire. Folkish and hearty passages to warm an icy cool underlay of frigid compositional bedrock in stunning tracks like the opener, "The Forest Of Silent Shadows" that once gripped by its captivating snares provides a sense of wonderment. The melody alone is truly something to behold. Flutes create a medieval vibe while the rhythm section cadences unpredictable yet familiar rhythms from martial progressions, to grande cymbal crashes and fluid paradiddles. Eskapism vocalist/guitarist, Zymobor delivers a multifaceted vocals contribution that shivers the spine with wraithlike shrieks and churns your innards with mighty bellows, all the while as he accomplishes synergy with guitar parts that blend seamlessly into the mix without becoming lost. And we've only just begun…

Four tracks clocking in at just over an hour's worth of BM done the Ukrainian way. Obviously influenced by the greats: Nokturnal Mortum and Drudkh to name a couple, but with a unique ambiance of its own is "Skresnava". There's this jazziness to it that's evidenced mostly by Dyvozor's dynamic bass lines. Each string of notes intertwining with every beat as a snake would navigate its way through the tall meadow grass. "Orison" - the album's finest cut in my opinion transforms from a lively first half of music to a more ominous second portion, as gentle acoustics are dominated by overpowering floor tom strikes, just before crystalline keyboard parts take their place; creating a delicate yet frigid soundscape. And then it's back to the business at hand - stirring up the kindling of the spirit with soulful riffs and impassioned rhythms. But it's in the atmosphere...

Can you sense it? It's as if the atmosphere is alive, not in the lively sense of the word but aware. Aware of your presence as you are aware of its own. An energy exchange taking place that's vital to both sides. And when the most precious dark art of Black Metal is beholden to this blessed spiritual transaction, it's usually of the astonishing consort. "Skresnava" is no exception. I've heard very few contemporary Atmospheric Black Metal bands as of late that possess the same capacity for genuinely feeling the music. Not just writing music on paper, memorizing it and then playing it, but being drawn to its essence is Eskapism. The essence of true Atmospheric Black Metal that is created with the most artful intentions. What a fine album and what a proud acquisition for Naturmacht Productions.

Rating: 9 out of 10