Byzantine ‎– The Cicada Tree – New Vinyl Record 2017 Metal Blade 180Gram Gatefold 2-LP Pressing with Etched D-Side – Thrash / Prog Metal RED (Sony)

Street Date: 7/28/17

To state that The Cicada Tree is ‘classic Byzantine’ in no way implies that this is an album solely rooted in the band’s past. Certainly, all of the hallmarks that have made their sound so compelling for close to two decades are present and correct: muscular yet lithe riffs and fluid leads play against gripping, dynamic and at times unpredictable rhythms, while rich melodies and lyrics that are both involved and intelligent wind their way through every track. But, once more, the groove metal unit has continued their steady evolution – the interplay between their members organic and natural, imbuing the record’s sixty-two-minute running time with a freshness and urgency.

With recently recruited drummer Matt Bowles (ex-Our Malignant Beloved) infusing their sound with a new youthfulness, alongside the heady talents that guitarist Brian “Hendo” Henderson and bassist Sean Sydnor bring to bear, penning the follow up to 2015’s To Release Is To Resolve was far from an arduous process.

Tracklist