Bitter Street Symphony
The Making of Biohazard’s Urban Discipline
“Our guard was up!” exclaims Biohazard drummer Danny Schuler about the defensive position the band took as they decamped to New York’s bowels and basements to construct their second album. They were lucky to be alive. After a disastrous pairing with Maze Records for their self-titled debut two years earlier, Schuler, bassist/vocalist Evan Seinfeld, guitarist/vocalist Billy Graziadei and lead guitarist Bobby Hambel emerged from the experience with a wisened layer of thickness piled on their already thick skin, skin hardened by life in gritty 1980s New York City. That which doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, as they say, and in light of their tenacious survival and relentless push forward, the band poured life experiences new and old into the material that comprised Urban Discipline.
As they recounted the real-life horrors and aversions of the concrete jungle, and the grievances of being on the receiving end of a lube-less industry fucking, they also widened their musical palette to delve deeper into metal, hardcore, punk rock and hip-hop, seamlessly channeling the mix into songs that pulsated with groove as much as they thrashed and bashed. Biohazard wrangled control of their lives behind the scenes via an unheralded contract with Roadrunner and Warner Bros.—a deal that saved their present and set the table for their future—while they yanked the creative reins to deliver landmark infectiousness (“Black and White and Red All Over,” “Loss,” the title track), spiteful music biz retorts (“Business,” “Man With a Promise”), re-recorded favorites from Biohazard (“Wrong Side of the Tracks,” “Hold My Own”), a Bad Religion cover (“We’re Only Gonna Die (From Our Own Arrogance)”), and the unstoppably popular “Punishment” and “Shades of Grey.”
It was an album boiled by—and boiling in—palpable acrimony that connected with people around the globe equally outraged by their own environments, defeats and struggles. This connection opened Biohazard to more of the world than they ever imagined as the victories piled up. They toured relentlessly to meet the demand created by becoming mainstays on MTV specialty programs. Urban Discipline charted in the U.S., Germany and Hungary, and received mountains of praise here and abroad, including Kerrang!, with whom the band had a temperamental relationship. They collaborated with rappers Onyx on one of the highlights of the legendary and unique (not to mention gold-certified) Judgment Night soundtrack. While Urban Discipline definitely made a statement when it was released in November 1992, the fact that it was largely the centerpiece that drove their reformation a month shy of exactly 30 years later speaks to its longevity (e.g., the buzz surrounding their performance album highlights at our 2024 Metal & Beer Fest: Philly). With Biohazard’s return to active duty and with new material in the gate, we finally gathered the Brooklyn four for a look back at their most powerful and revered statement.
Need more classic Biohazard? To read the entire seven-page story, featuring interviews with all four members who performed on Urban Discipline, purchase the print issue from our store, or digitally via our app for iPhone/iPad or Android.
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