Review by Andy Valentine
First things first. A mere four days after the release of this record, Byzantine called it quits. They threw in the towel. Gave up the dream. As of the writing of this review, West Virginia’s Byzantine is no more.
And it’s a goddamn shame, as Oblivion Beckons is a better album than most metal bands could ever hope to produce over a 20 year lifespan. It’s a better album than say, Meshuggah has ever put out over the course of their entire career. As it stands, Oblivion Beckons is a near masterpiece. If anything, this record is a swansong.
I mention Meshuggah specifically to contrast Byzantine’s technical prowess. Oblivion Beckons is an album up pure precision, with machine gun start/stop rhythms that band like Meshuggah worked to pioneer. But this… This is so much better. It’s as if the guys in Byzantine are working the grooves on this record to show off just how creative they can be with their technical musicianship. These guys put together something I can only describe as progressive jam. It’s as if a technical metal were fused with the musical tendencies (albeit not sounds) of a hippie jam band.
That is to say, the songs themselves sound as though they were simply “jammed out” – like single studio takes. But not mind you, without structure. It’s like free flowing technical metal. Progressive metal filtered through a stream of consciousness (so to speak). Songs with diverse yet complex metal architectures, but created and performed effortlessly.
Oblivion Beckons is Byzantine saying, yeah, we’re this good. And we don’t even have to try.
Essentially, Oblivion Beckons cannot be accurately described. It con only be appreciated.
Which is why it’s such a shame this is the last record we’ll ever hear from them. Pick this one up – it’s so far the best record released in 2008.