Billy Graziadei

Biohazard

In 1988 came a band from the rough neighborhoods of Brooklyn. Its style? Hard tuned, heavy scratched guitars blended with rap-raging vocals and a statement, life's tough. Ladies and gentlemen, Metal Temple Magazine proudly presents one of the system's worst musical enemies, Biohazard! The band's longtime guitarist, Billy Graziadei spoke to us via e-mail about various bio-hazardous issues... Beware!

By Orpheus Spiliotopoulos

• September 17, 2004

First of all, since we're an online Magazine, I'd like to ask you what your relationship with the Internet is.

The internet rules...my relationship with it. Mmmmm....I'm busy as hell making music and working on projects..not big into the chat thing....but with Endrah (my new band) the rest of the band lives in Brazil...so it works great for that...

Do you read online Magazines?

Yes...the reviews are awesome...I actually read more online magazines more than print copies!

Do you use the Internet to be closer to your fans?

The internet is a direct contact to the friend who digs your music...

You've been around (as a band) since 1988. How does it feel 16 years later compared to what it felt like for that new band from Brooklyn back then?

My new band Endrah feels just like it did for Biohazard back in 1988!! It's an awesome time...so I think to re-live the experience...I'm only absorbing the good shit....fuck the bad shit....it almost destroyed Biohazard time after time...for every great thing that happened for us...there were 50 bad things and 10 disasters!!

In 1990 your debut album, Biohazard, was released through Maze Records back then. As years went by you signed with Roadrunner Records, then with Warner Bros, then Roadrunner again, Sanctuary and now your forthcoming album is going to be released through SPV worldwide. Are labels a 'tough' partner after all and do you feel satisfied with your cooperation with SPV so far?

SPV has been great...I look at it like this....with a few exceptions...I wish we had stayed with ONE label for our whole career...success is built on good relationships and good communication...Biohazard was always a against the grain type of band....even if something was good for us...it seemed we always went the opposite way....and even with that mentatlity of self destruction....we were able to make some kind of success!

Your new album, yet unnamed, is going to be released by the end of this year. Are there any candidate titles for the album or is that part left for the end? Would you like to announce any song titles if available?

No title to release yet..the ideas are good but nothing definate..
Songs...

My life My way
Kings Never Die
Break It Away From MeState Of Discipline
A Fire Burns Inside

Two months ago you told BlabberMouth.Com that the new songs are back to the 'Urban Discipline'/'State of the World Address'-style of Biohazard. You also said that you went back to the traditional tunings of Biohazard. What exactly led you to do that?

Our last album Kill or be Killed we dropped way low to an A tuning.....easy to write heavey riffs in that tuning...some of the songs on that album had the classic Biohazard feel (in my opinion) but with the traditional Bio tuning of D I am forced to write heavy Biohazard riffs that are actually heavey and not covered up by a low tuning....everyone is playing with low tunings...it's easy as hell to write like that....but the tunings on Kill Or Be Killed fit with our mood of the album and the lyrics..it worked at the time...

What drove you to NOT do for example something slightly different as shown in your latest releases?

I've alwasys strived to write music that get's me off...get's me exicted....makes my dick hard...for lack of a better expression....on this album...going back to the classic writting styles of Biohazard...that worked best for me!

What should your fans really expect from the forthcoming album?

Classic Biohazard to put you to sleep.

Who's going to do the cover artwork?

A friend of mine may be doing it...no definate yet...

Any special guests on this album?

No just us kicking your senses...

Billy, I must admit that you've always been an active musician. A month ago or so I read that you're also with a band called Endrah. Would you like to tell us a few things about Endrah?

Check out www.endrah.com! My new band that kicks fucking ass...blows my mind and reminds me or the early days of Biohazard where we didn't give a fuck about anything....awesome...

As I said, you're one hyper-active musician! What about Rodek? That's a project featuring Kittie bassist Jennifer Arroyo, Karl Bernholtz, AJ Marchetta, Dan Lamagna and you. How's the project doing so far?

Rodek changed the name to Suicide City...Jennifer is busy as hell with Kittie so the band get's together when we can for fun....

Any other activities at the moment?

Always...I'm a happy head of a household with a beautiful wife and daughter....life is good when you work for what you have! Jui Jitsu helps a bit too...

Biohazard is going to be featured on longtime freelance producer for MTV Rick Ernst's Get Thrashed documentary (I'm not sure if it's out yet). Your comments?

I had no idea....cool...

Since your point of view on politics and matters affecting the US and the world in general was always your core lyrical element, I'd like you to comment on your country's forthcoming elections this year if you may.

Mmmm....Elections here in the states have mostly been a choice between the lesser of two evils....in America I think we need another dominant party....there needs to be more of a choice....

Finally I'd like to thank you for taking time in answering this interview. These last words belong to you and you may end this interview by sending a message out to all our readers and of course your fans!

Watch for the new Biohazard album....and Endrah taking over in 2005!!!

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