Kingcrimsonprog Biohazard are a long running and classic band among fans of a certain generation, who came out in the early nineties with a sound that mixed together NY-Hardcore, Thrash Metal and Rap Music, resulting in a then innovative and distinct sound. They released eight studio albums until they temporarily disbanded after 2005's magnificent but critically panned Means To An End album.

After a seven-year gap between studio albums; the band got back together, this time with the `Classic Line-Up' for the first time on record since 1994's State Of The World Address album, to release 2012's Reborn In Defiance.

While you may expect the Classic Line-Up to put out an album that mostly sounds like the band's first three records, the end result is actually closer to a mixture of everything they've been doing since then, and all the separate styles that they've incorporated into their sound along the way.

Stylistically half the album, including the pre-released tracks `Skullcrusher' and `Vengeance Is Mine,' is very much in the same mould as their previous album Means To An End, in terms of straight forward crushing and enjoyable, grooving Hardcore Metal, in a sort of post-Hatebreed reinterpretation of their signature sound. The other half of the album is a lot more melodic and slightly experimental in a similar vein to the lighter moments from their Uncivilization and New World Disorder albums.

If you are just a casual Biohazard fan then unfortunately this album probably won't radically change your opinion of the band, it isn't an absolute Tour De Force that will go down in history as an undoubted classic. If you are a fairly strong Biohazard fan however then this is a nice addition to the catalogue that will keep you happy, a welcome collection of some more Biohazard songs that ties together somewhat the different styles of the previous few albums and brings the various experimentations therein to a logical conclusion.

Overall; Reborn In Defiance is a good album, it isn't out and out the best thing that the band have ever done and it isn't likely to win over anyone who already dislikes Biohazard, but is certainly worth checking out if you already follow the band and is nowhere near a disappointment.

Time Signature These ears (have heard)...

Genre: hardcore / alternative metal

While "State of the World Adress" is a great hardcore/crossover metal album, "Mata Leão" leaves a bit more to be desired. It's not that it's a bad album or a disappointment in any way, I just think it is not as captivating and inspiring as its predecessor.

It does have attitude, and there are times where it draws one in, like "State of the World Address" did, as in the chorus of "Authority" where it's impossible not to sing along to the "F*ck the rules, f*ck, f*ck the rules", and the following track "These Eyes (Have Seen)". However, a number of tracks are more sludge metal inspired, like "Cleansing", "Modern Democracy" (although it's a bit more upbeat), "Gravity", and "In Vain", and they tend to get a bit boring, I think, and end up a bit of a forgettable mass of songs. Other tracks are much more punky and probably more hardcore than metal, such as "Competition", "Better Days", "A Lot To Learn", "A Way", and "True Strengthw", but they're actually the best songs on the album, probably because they're fast and straightforward and energetic unlike the sludgy ones. "Waiting to Die" is also a pretty cool track; it's basically a hip hop track performed with rock instrumentation.

There is actually one are where this album is better than "State of the World Address" and that's in terms of the vocals which are much rougher and angrier on this one.

"Mata Leão" is not the best album in the world, but it does have a number of highlights. I think it appeals more to hardcore and punk fans than to metalheads, but maybe fans of sludge metal will appreciate it for its many sludgy tracks.

Time Signature What makes us rock...

Genre: hardcore / alternative metal

This is a damn great harcore/metal album. I mean when an album starts out with a guy yelling "It's the state of the world address, motherf******************************ckers!", then you know that things are going to be good.

And things are good. This album has everything that an urbancore, or streetcore, or whatever that type of hardcore music could be called. It's got plenty of polka drums, simple hardcore punky riffs, heavy riffage, plenty of "Yo, this is..." and "f*ck you" statements, angrily yelled vocals and soccer match choruses.

Notable tracks are the strangely melodic "What Makes Us Tick" which contains a great mosh-friendly heavy outro-riff, and the tough-guy life-on-the-streets-anthems "Tales from the Hard Side" and "How it Is", which is a collaboration with none other than Cypress Hill, thus combining metal and rap music (and this was before Nü Metal). Actually, "How it Is" was somewhat of a hit back in the day, and that's no coincidence - it's heavy, simple, melodic and catchy (it's virtually impossible not scream along to the "That's how it is, yo, that's how it is"-chorus. "Five Blocks to the Subeay" is another rap-meets-metal life-on-the-streets-anthem (this time with Biohazard doing the rapping themselves), and it's another great moshpit-friendly rocker. "failed Territory" has a nice dark and epic classical 2-minute intro while "Love Denied" has a piano-and-epic-reverbed-guitar intro.

The gritty socially aware lyrics suit the generally hardcore and moshing oriented riffing very well.

I think this album will appeals to fans of hardcore and crossover thrash alike as well as fans of Nü Metal (if they can live with guitar solos, that is) and people who just like to mosh.