Artist: Biohazard Album: Urban Discipline

Year: 1992
Duration: 57:52

A of Biohazard's Urban Discipline Album

Biohazard is a New York-based band that made a loud statement in the Heavy Metal industry especially during the 90s with their hardcore style, unique fusion of genres like punk rock, hardcore, and thrash metal, socially conscious lyrics, and the ability to blend the elements of music with social issues. The band's most successful album - Urban Discipline - dropped in May 1992. Produced by Wharton Tiers, the album was a huge step ahead of the band in terms of experimentation, diversity, and a new surprising approach to metal music.
In this post, we're going to dive deep into Biohazard's Urban Discipline album and assess its strengths, weaknesses, and what it brought to the Heavy Metal scene of the 90s.
The album, Urban Discipline, is a bold statement, from the opening notes to its last. It was produced in a way that allows the listener to feel the raw energy coming out of the speakers. Urban Discipline is the embodiment of heavy, guitar-powered music with thundering drums and adrenaline-pumping bass that’s bound to keep listeners on the edge of their seats. Biohazard took the tried-and-tested hardcore sound and went full-throttle with it, adding some new flavors along the way.
One of the standout tracks from the album is Punishment. Not only is it one of the most iconic tracks from Urban Discipline, but it also cements the band's stance on issues of societal discrimination and police brutality. The song starts with a very eerie intro that adds to the haunting lyrics. Punishment shows the band's badass and confrontational approach which is evident throughout the rest of the album.
The song that truly highlights the band's range and progression is Shades of Grey. Biohazard took a departure from their usual hardcore sound and adds a jazzy, bluesy feel to the song. It soothes the listener's ears and yet shocks them with the lyrics that talk about the complexities of relationships. The song showcases the band's growth and ability to experiment while not losing their roots.
Another track that deserves recognition is Business. The track features the iconic rapper Ice-T and it's a socio-political commentary on the corporate industry, doubling down on the message that the rich continue to get richer while the common man suffers. Business is a powerful message in its brand of hardcore punk with rap flow that makes for a riveting listen.
Although this album is a massive step forward in terms of fusion and diversity of sound, there are some parts that feel predictable and samey. When listening to it there's a feeling of too much emphasis on the distortion, and the guitar solos come in a little too late. However, these areas don't take away the greatness that is Urban Discipline.
Biohazard's Urban Discipline remains one of the best Heavy Metal albums of the 90s. It's full of energy, impactful lyrics, and powerful guitar riffs that still resonate today. The album shows just how much they grew in terms of style, blend of different genres, diversity, and experimentation from their previous work. The band proved that they were not only determined to push boundaries but to break them. As a music fan, It can be said that Biohazard's Urban Discipline is highly recommended. It's a classic example of what Heavy Metal is capable of achieving when it's done well.