Say what you will, but I'm a fuckin' Biohazard fan, and anyone that's within my general age range that denies liking Biohazard as a kid is a filthy god damn liar. You know damn well that "Urban Discipline" is a fucking classic. Well, Biohazard's kind of been living in the shadow of that record ever since, at least in their fans' eyes, because it was an outright masterpiece. So all of the pre-release hype for this record is calling it a return to form for the band, a throwback to the "Urban Discipline" style. A dangerous claim, and one that's really not but so accurate, but nonetheless, there are indeed a handful of tracks herein that come closer to the "Urban Discipline" level than anything Biohazard has done in the last 13 years (but I'm not one of those people who thinks that "Urban Discipline" was their last good record, as that's far from the truth), and overall this is definitely a more memorable and dynamic record than "Kill or Be Killed" was. They've thrown in more classic Biohazard sounding solo bursts throughout the record, and of course they bookend the disc with the two best tracks. Opener "My Life My Way" (which is oddly mastered louder and clearer than the other tracks, thus sounding literally stronger in and of itself) is by far the closest throwback, with a verse riff that certainly calls back to staples like "Punishment", and were they able to have harnessed that edge in all of these tracks they'd no doubt have blown some minds. Biohazard also always closes strong, and the story's no different here, as "Set Me Free" is probably my favorite track on the disc with its chugging midpaced crunch and thrashy edge to the picking patterns during the verse. "Don't Stand Alone" also provides a pretty solid mix of the new and the old, with hardcore oriented verse parts and a slower, more textured chorus that boasts one of Billy Graziadei's most venomous vocal performances on the disc. Biohazard's always been fortunate to possess two of the most unique sounding vocalists within the hardcore/metal realm, but I've always preferred Graziadei's perfectly bitter sneers, he's simply one of the best hardcore vocalists ever, like it or not, so I'd love to hear him take the lead vocals as often as possible to be honest. Elsewhere, a lot of the material strikes me as a blend of their last several years' worth of output: More focused than "Uncivilization", less groovy than "New World Disorder", and more vibrant than the one-sided relentlessness of "Kill or Be Killed". "Killing to Be Free" could've fit on any of the last three Biohazard records without a doubt, for example. "Kings Never Die" flirts with the most groove and also pushes some of the most recognizably hip-hop oriented vocal patterns and is probably one of the only songs that leaves a little bit of a bad taste in my mouth; whereas the churning groove of "To the Grave" isn't all that powerful, but it's a stronger song in the end. The recording? The verdict's still out on that one. It sounds pretty good, but something's missing. Some of Biohazard's other recent output has probably sounded a little stronger than this record. Considering the band did all the work in their own studio they've done well for themselves. The bass presence is pretty damn solid, the vocals are well executed, and for the most part the percussion sounds to be on point. I'd like to hear a better sense of balance in the mix though, as the snare and some of the other drum work can pop out too much, and sometimes the vocals absorb a little more space than necessary as well. The guitar tone is probably too muddy, too. Barely, mind you, but there's something about the guitars where they need to figure out how to make the guitars crunchier and more dominant without lacking clarity, so... it sounds pretty good, and your ears adjust to the discrepancies, so it's not a real issue. I do have to say that I think the layout's pretty weak, though. The color scheme is bland, the typefaces just don't fit, and it all looks too raw and lacks the professionalism that such a longstanding act as this deserves. Lyrically expect the same type of stuff the band is known for as far as dealing with pride, busting your ass to get the most out of life, fighting for what you believe in, etc. But basically, don't be expecting "Urban Discipline 2" 'cause this ain't it, and it's never gonna happen, that time and place have passed. If you like Biohazard, you're probably just gonna do your thing here. And if not, you're probably not gonna give a fuck that this record is out. But I don't know, I own every studio record these guys have ever done and will continue to follow the band as long as they keep at it. They've taken a lot of unfounded shit over the years, and regardless of the fact that this isn't an outstanding record, I enjoy their work, and this is an enjoyable listen with a few killer bright spots. End of story.
[SPV]
Running time - 33:45, Tracks: 10
[Notable tracks: My Life My Way, Break it Away From Me, Don't Stand Alone, Set Me Free]
Biohazard - http://www.biohazard.com
