New York, Jan. 21, 2008) -- The original lineup of the highly influential New York-based group BIOHAZARD, whose intense fusion of the aggression of hardcore, punk and thrash metal with the socio-critical commentary and authenticity of hip-hop earned the band extensive international acclaim will reunite for a series of performances in the summer of 2008 to commemorate the band's 20th anniversary. A new group photo can be viewed at www.myspace.com/biohazard.
Bassist/vocalist Evan Seinfeld, guitarist/vocalist Billy Graziadei, drummer Danny Schuler and guitarist Bobby Hambel have not performed together publicly since 1995, when Hambel left the group at the end of the touring cycle for BIOHAZARD's third album and major-label debut, "State of the World Address." Like its predecessor, the landmark "Urban Discipline" (1992), "State of the World Address" sold more than 1 million copies worldwide and capped the band's evolution from a Brooklyn local favorite into an international success.
In recent years, Schuler kept busy by playing drums for the band Bloodclot and occasionally mixing music for other artists, frequently in collaboration with Graziadei. In addition to his success with his new band Suicide City (currently working on the second release) Graziadei also stays active producing and recording bands in his studio; Underground Sound Studios. Seinfeld, meanwhile, remained in the public eye via high-profile appearances on HBO (five seasons on the critically acclaimed prison drama "Oz") and VH1 ("SuperGroup"), as well as a column in Stuff Magazine. Additionally, he shot photos for such publications as Playboy, Penthouse and FHM and voiced characters in the video games "Manhunt," "The Warriors" and the forthcoming "Grand Theft Auto IV," and as CEO of Teravision, he currently manages the career of his wife, leading adult film star Tera Patrick, whom he has directed and performed with under the name Spyder Jonez. He also recently launched a new band, The Spyderz.
Seinfeld admits that none of these extracurricular activities would have been possible without the success of BIOHAZARD, and looks forward to returning to his roots. "BIOHAZARD was the single most important chapter in our lives," he says. "Our music brought us together and helped us rise up out of the streets of Brooklyn. Our journey has been an amazing one, and for me, it's all about my brothers Billy, Bobby and Danny, and of course the fans, whose undying support has never given up on the hopes of a reunion of the original band. I'm proud to announce that the four of us have decided to bring our special brand of hardcore tribal ceremony better known as a BIOHAZARD live show to select venues across the globe. Here comes the pain, and see you in the pit, motherfuckers!"
Adds Hambel, "We owe it to ourselves and to everyone who wants to see the original band reunite. We've lost a lot of great friends and musicians over the years, but we're still here -- and it's time to set the record straight!"
Starting with their self-titled 1990 debut, BIOHAZARD released eight acclaimed studio albums over a 15-year period that saw the band outlast many of heavy music's passing fads (hair metal, grunge, nu-metal). During that time, the band was also featured prominently on two revered, Gold-certifide compilations: "Nativity in Black: A Tribute to Black Sabbath," to which they contributed an album- opening cover of "After Forever," and the groundbreaking soundtrack to the film "Judgment Night," to which they provided the title track (a collaboration with the rap group Onyx).
The band's success can be traced back to the infectious single "Punishment" from their 1992 breakthrough "Urban Discipline," which not only became the most-played video clip ever on the original incarnation of MTV's seminal "Headbanger's Ball" program, but also provided a much-needed hit for their then-fledgling record label, Roadrunner Records. (Indeed, when the label assembled a 20th Anniversary concert in 2006 at which both past and present Roadrunner artists performed, "Punishment" was the night's opening track.)
For the follow-up to "Urban Discipline," BIOHAZARD graduated to major label Warner Bros., for which the band recorded two albums: 1994's "State of the World Address" and 1996's "Mata Leao." The band then signed with Mercury Records for 1999's "New World Disorder" before aligning with SPV for their final three studio albums.
Whenever the band wasn't in the studio, BIOHAZARD was almost always on the road. Some of their most notable tours included treks alongside Slayer, Pantera and the inaugural Ozzfest. By the band's count, BIOHAZARD has performed nearly 3,000 concerts in some 60 different countries around the world.
As a socially conscious, anti-establishment band that successfully fused the seemingly disparate worlds of rap and heavy metal, many of BIOHAZARD's lyrics were politically aware, and although they often addressed various social injustices and portrayed vividly harsh and realistic portraits of gritty urban angst, their underlying messages were frequently positive. However, perhaps the band's most fitting lyric is from their 1994 hit "How It Is": "Sooner or later, what goes around comes around."
In early January, the original BIOHAZARD members met and rehearsed together for the first time in a dozen years. "To be in the same room with old friends again fuckin' rocked," says Graziadei. "We created something unique back in the day and I'm psyched we can all hang together and recapture that vibe. It's like time stood still and we're all 19 again!"
"I'm extremely happy that we're all friends again," Schuler adds. "Life is too short, and all the fights, rumors and beefs don't matter anymore. What matters is the four of us being friends and getting up on stage again together. I can't wait to do this."
