West Virginia's Byzantine are the latest metal ordnance to be shot out of the largely successful Prosthetic Records cannon and their debut bow, "The Fundamental Component", packs quite a punch. A tasteful mixture of old and new with a distinct metal pedigree throughout, "The Fundamental Component" takes on generous helpings of metalcore, metal, and even hard rock to prove its worth, leaving a generally satisfying impact in its wake. Unquestionably metalcore and screamo seem to be the hot tickets for the North American metal audiences these days and as such it would be quite easy for this outfit to churn out another faceless album for the genre. Luckily enough for the listener however, "The Fundamental Component" is actually quite distanced from such a generic concoction.

Primarily the band tend to establish a rhythm section driven battering ram of metallic fury and compliment it with cleverly timed guitar parts that allow the music to lunge forth. Initially you are treated to what one would expect from a modern metal band - throaty screamed vocals, shredding riffs and overwhelming double kick laden percussion. As the band kick into gear however they unleash what is perhaps their defining factor - melody. Mixing melody with bruising metal isn't by any means new, but Byzantine seem to be intent on putting their own spin on it, trying on a variety of melodic styles that can range from older Pantera all the way to something you would almost expect Sammy Hagar to do. This vocal ambitiousness and experimentalism is what will make or break the band as it's what ultimately sets them apart. Sure the group do toil with some interesting instrumental melodies and arrangements which include screeching harmonics, ethnic sounding percussion and some intricate structuring, but to the untrained ear the vocals are what will truly stand out.

However, being that there are a few differing vocal styles exercised the band risk the chance of alienating some listeners. Yes respect must be given for the versatility, but overall one questions why the band would not stick to their stronger methods of attack rather than put themselves out with some stylings that can seem a bit conflicted. The momentum of some of the bands material can be greatly hampered by some of these more melodic moments, causing slight derailments which take too much time to recover from. Still, despite the occasional stumble and a somewhat thin sounding mix, Byzantine still deliver a credible metal album that demonstrates a true love for the craft and its many incarnations over the past two decades. They may not always hit their target or use the right ammunition for the task at hand, but they still create one hell of a crater all the same.