Biohazard Urban Discipline Torrent Series Exploring The

If you take any major rock subgenre of the last 30 years or so, youll tend to find a revival of it somewhere whether successful or short-lived.

Nu-metal is a subgenre thats been revived fairly well the last 5 or so years one need only look at current bands like Sylar, Issues, Cane Hill, Sworn In, Islander, and My Ticket Home to realize that their influences lie 20 years deep in the proverbial water.

The aforementioned bands (as well as others not mentioned) successfully have infused classic nu-metal sounds to fit a more modern audience, and thats why you see Issues and Cane Hill especially getting slots on high-profile festivals.

This article is a look back on nu-metals origins, its peak, subsequent oversaturationdecline, and recent rebirth.

Grab your JNCO jeans, Surge sodas, and Adidas shoes, because were going on a rocketship 30 years ago.

Biohazard Urban Discipline Torrent Series Exploring The

Heres part 1 of our 5 part series exploring the genres history, from the late 80s to the subsequent nu-metal revival thats happening right now.

The list of bands that fell under this umbrella were as influential as they were popular Faith No More, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Helmet, Beastie Boys, Primus, and Rage Against The Machine were the more notable ones.

The band (considered one of the Big Four of thrash metal) went on to partner up with Public Enemy in 1991 for a re-recording of the song, which cemented rap-metal as a style that could, in actuality, work.

You need only listen to their 1992 album Urban Discipline to realize that bands like King 810 would simply not exist without Biohazard.

This was urban heavy metal, hardcore, and hip-hop for the unforgiving streets of New York, and though the band would be grouped in with their peers like Mucky Pup and Only Living Witness, Biohazard was certainly onto something special and groundbreaking.

It accomplished two things one, it was arguably the first time rap and rock had collaborated, ever.

It was this collaboration that signaled Aerosmiths second wind.

Who knows whether the band would have continued on making iconic track that made it on the Armageddon soundtrack.

When you begin an album with a statement song like Bombtrack, how can you not expect it to be influential It infiltrated the mainstream, and even had a cameo appearance by then-unknown Maynard James Keenan (Tool) on Know Your Enemy.

Of all the nu-metal albums released, RATMs debut was likely the one with the most artistic integrity.

Which is interesting, considering the bands hatred of the label.

Its iconic refrain of fuck you, I wont do what you tell me over the legendary guitar screams of Tom Morello was the anthem of many a teen in the early 90s.

Solidifying the fusion genre as a legitimate mainstream force, the soundtrack paired rock metal bands (Slayer, Helmet, Faith No More) with rap hip-hop groups of the period (Onyx, Ice-T, and Cypress Hill).

Many of these collaborations were incredibly well-received (the BiohazardOnyx collaboration in particular was vital), and foreshadowed the comeback to the mainstream that metal would soon undergo.

Their website features an interactive map, news, and a band archive.

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