Welcome back to another segment of music that has been awesome for a while now. I’m going to start the throwback with another throwback. A personal throwback to my youth. One afternoon my father picked me up from school. It would have been a normal day, but as soon as I got in the car I noticed that he was playing something atypical of his usual genre selections. It was raw, it was heavy, it was Biohazard. Needless to say, that was my introduction to the band.
Biohazard formed in Brooklyn, New York in the late 1980’s. After constructing a solid four-piece lineup they released their self-titled debut. This album featured a sound that, although not particularly groundbreaking, was unique in it’s own right. For this album they were essentially playing thrash metal with a strong hardcore influence. The thing that made it stand out was the overall sound quality. Biohazard was the type of band that could actually use raw production to their advantage. Due to their aggressive image and lyrical themes pertaining to the struggles of urban living, the raw sound production just helped to complete the illusion.
The album “Urban Discipline” (1992) is where the band really shined. Bassist/Vocalist Evan Seinfeld started to make use of rapping vocals in many of the songs. Keep in mind that this was years before the the Nu Metal scene emerged. Both guitarists displayed relentless riffs and grimy sounding solos while their drummer led them to create some of the heaviest breakdowns at the time. Overall I’d say “Urban Discipline” is their definitive album. A must listen for all fans of hardcore influenced heavy metal.
p.s. If you’re a Biohazard fan be sure to check out Seinfeld’s new band Attika7.
