State Of The World Address

Album review

In the world of metal music, much of the heavy breathing and screaming centers around adolescent rites of passage, often rendered in sci-fi, Saturday-morning cartoon metaphors. To find a group which values the musical intensity of modern metal and thrash, but has something on their mind other than escapism and testosterone, you must journey into the heart of Brooklyn to encounter the power of Biohazard.

On the inside flap of the CD tray card, Biohazard is pictured in reflection against the inscription, "Honor the courage, sacrifice, and devotion to duty and country of our Vietnam veterans," a theme close to their heart as depicted on "Remember." Such is the moral tone of STATE OF THE WORLD ADDRESS, in which Biohazard turns their blaring searchlight of rage upon the disturbing day-to-day realities of post-Cold War America.

None of which mean squat to your typical headbanger if not for Biohazard's wild, over-the-top musical signature--a speed-metal wall of rage. It's all there on the title tune as drummer Danny Schuler keys the furious rhythm changes, while Bobby Hambel's soaring lead guitar vies with the vocal ravings of Billy Graziadei and Evan Seinfeld for center stage. As a result, STATE OF THE WORLD ADDRESS distances Biohazard from most bands in the heavy metal genre by focusing on issues of urban crime ("Tales From The Hard Side" and "Five Blocks To The Subway"), child abuse ("Love Denied"), and inner city blight ("Failed Territory"). Biohazard is not concerned with entertainment, concentrating instead on the purgative potency of a power chord, feeding off of rejection and ignorance to fashion an emotional response you can't ignore.

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