West Virginian groove metal outfitByzantinehas finished recording its sixth full-length album, andMetal Blade Recordsdebut,"The Cicada Tree". Due in the spring, the disc was recorded at7over8 Studiosin Myrtle Beach, South Carolina with producer and engineerJay Hannon.

Byzantine'sChris Ojeda(vocals, rhythm guitar) comments: "The Cicada Tree"represents 16 years of a heavy metal band thriving completely underground.

"Byzantinehas been on a slow burn since 2000, constantly crafting our brand of heavy metal and now, with the support ofMetal Blade Records, we will finally get a chance to showcase our music on a bigger stage."

Byzantinewas formed in 2000 by vocalist/guitaristChris Ojedaand former guitaristTony Rohrbough. After releasing three albums via Prosthetic Records, touring withLamb Of God, playing the main stage ofNew England Metal And Hardcore Festival, and receiving much praise from fans and media alike, the band abruptly called it quits in early 2008 - but it wasn't long before the metal community demanded their return.

In 2012, a reinvigoratedByzantinereunited with their seminal lineup, and consequently delivered two highly praised albums, which were crowd-funded through Kickstarter and PledgeMusic and independently released. Now, after having been an independent artist since 2013,Ojedaand his crew are back with a new record deal, poised to dominate the scene once again with"The Cicada Tree".