Charleston, West Virginia’s groove metal band Byzantine have released their new single “The Unobtainable Sleep,” the second track from their seventh album Harbingers, out June 13, 2025, via Metal Blade Records. The song, paired with a lyric video, premiered yesterday, exclusively on SiriusXM’s Liquid Metal, with the official release today, May 8, now streaming.
Formed in 2000, Byzantine—Chris “OJ” Ojeda (vocals), Brian Henderson (guitar/vocals), Tony Rohrbough (guitar), Ryan Postlethwait (bass/vocals), and Matt Bowles (drums)—delivers a dark, poetic exploration of death in “The Unobtainable Sleep.” Guitarist Henderson notes the track’s influences from Extol, Carcass, and Fear Factory, with riffs crafted by Ojeda and an extended solo by Russian guitarist Andrey Gadzhibalaev. Henderson’s Jerry Cantrell-style harmonies add a haunting layer to the 5:12 song, which fits the album’s theme of “ones who usher in great change,” symbolized by its cover art of Irene of Athens by Ashley Hoey. Produced by Peter Wichers, Harbingers spans nine tracks and 45 minutes, following their first single “Floating Chrysanthema,” a dystopian AI-themed banger.
After a tumultuous journey—including a 2007 breakup post-Oblivion Beckons and a 2017 Metal Blade debut with The Cicada Tree—Byzantine’s revitalized five-piece lineup aims to reassert their place in the New Wave of American Heavy Metal. Pre-order Harbingers at metalblade.com/byzantine and stream “The Unobtainable Sleep” now!