The world of music does not stand still. It is constantly developing and improving. Musicians in search of a “voice” try to combine different styles of music. The band Biohazard became the first in the history of music, who dared to mix several styles: hardcore punk, groove metal, hip-hop. They were the first, who decided to mix rock and rap, although the band itself does not consider itself hardcore. This does not prevent them from having a large fan base. How did the main musical experimenters from Brooklyn appear? Find out more at the website brooklyn-trend.
NATIVE OF BENSONHURST
The band was formed in 1987 in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn. The original lineup consisted of the bassist and vocalist Evan Seinfeld, the guitarist Bobby Hambel and the drummer Anthony Meo. Shortly afterwards, they were joined by Billy Graziadei. He played the guitar. In such a composition, in 1988, the band recorded and released the first demo cassette in their career.
With the release of the first songs, the band received a flurry of criticism from the press. Some journalists tried to find Nazi expressions in their texts, although Seinfeld himself is a Jew. The group had long denied any provocative implications in their songs. But then they admitted that it was a publicity stunt to stand out against Carnivore. After such recognition, the group gradually began to change the text and semantic reference of the songs. Nazi statements were replaced by appeals to fight racism. In 1989, the band’s drummer changed. Danny Schuler came to replace Meo.
In 1990, the band signed their first contract with Maze Records. The first album had weak marketing. Because of this, it paid off badly. Only 40,000 copies were sold. In their first album, the guys talked about what surrounded them, namely about Brooklyn. For a long time, Brooklyn had a criminal reputation. The musicians revealed this topic in the texts about violence, drugs, gunfights and so on. The defiant form of presentation helped convey the problems of the borough to the youth. When the band appeared, all the members were still teenagers. They perfectly knew how to convey information to their peers. On a tour across Europe, they realized that this was not just about Brooklyn, although, at the time in Europe, the sale of their disks was prohibited.
THE FIRST MILLION
Artists actively worked not only on the release of new albums, but also on other projects. Seinfeld and Graziadei managed to work together with Mickey Pop.
In 1992, the band signed a contract with Roadrunner Records and released a second album. Cooperation with a new label helped the band make a breakthrough. The Urban Discipline album glorified the team. The circulation amounted to more than a million copies. The song Punishment became the most broadcast song in the history of MTV.Â
World fame brought the band both money and collaborations with other famous artists. In 1993, they recorded a track with the group Onyx. The track became the soundtrack to the film “Judgment Night”. More than two million copies were sold in the US alone, which brought the band additional fame and income. Natives of Brooklyn became world stars of rock music.
LABEL CHANGE
Despite the merits of Roadrunner Records, the band terminated their contract with them and signed a new one with Warner Bros. Records. Their third studio album also broke the mark of million copies. After that, Bobby Hambel left the band due to creative differences.
The band released their fourth album in 1996. They hired the former Helmet guitarist Rob Echeverria to record the album. Their hard work brought the band to Ozzfest. There, they performed with Ozzy Osbourne, Slayer, Sepultura and others.
In 1999, the band signed a short-lived contract with Mercury Records. Another change of label bored the musicians. In 2000, they set out on a tour without the support of any label. The group was actively developing and had numerous other projects with eminent performers.
Biohazard released their sixth studio album in 2001 and their seventh album in 2003. The artists wrote it in 17 days.
PATHS DIVERGED
In the summer of 2011, Evan Seinfeld announced that he was leaving the band. So they announced the search for a new vocalist. Scott Robert returned to several concerts to replace Seinfeld. In 2012, he remained in the group forever.
Seinfeld quickly found a “new job”. He was taken to the group Attika 7. In 2012, the group set out on tour with the tenth studio album, during which Danny Schuler temporarily left the team. They continued working hard and regularly releasing new tracks and albums.
In 2016, Scott Roberts left the band. As a result, a number of concerts were canceled. The reason for Roberts’ departure was personal troubles with other band members. In 2022, the team comforted fans with the news that Seinfeld was returning. They immediately announced two concerts in 2023. The concert activity was not even hindered by the death of the former participant Anthony Meo. He had died of cancer. The band paid tribute to him on social media.
Biohazard continued to develop rapidly with new concerts, albums and tracks. Their fans have aged together with the band. Despite the musical diversity in the 21st century, many fans remained loyal to the band even after many years. In 2022, Biohazard turned 35 years old. The musicians celebrated the memorable date with their fans.
