Story by
Mike Lavelle
Watching Jawbreaker With antips aimed direct
practice, you realize these
guys could burn through
their set blindfolded, with
earplugs, playing in dif
ferent rooms. Their miste
pours freely out of them
ly at each other, one gets
the impression that some
ancient battle is being
refought, this time with
volume being the solitary
weapon. Witnessing this
aw BREAKER tunnel
TDS
display of power and pee
dision. It's hard to believe
that until last year Jaw
breaker was a long das
tance relationship, with
the three members Eving
on separate coasts.
This couldn't work arry
other way says singer/
guitar player Blake. If it
wasn't us three, it just
wouldn't be," says bassist
Chris. Drummer Adam
just nods in agreement.
"By society's standards, we're definitely no role
models," explains Beniad, one-half of the group
Blood of Abraham. "If I want to talk about smoking
a joint, then I will. Rap is at the forefront of saying
shit. It's the only style of music that don't give a fuck.
Look at what Sinead O'Connor did. if MC Ren did
that, people would be applauding him."
Although rap went mainstream in the mid-80s,
these kids were influenced by the coveted old
school styles. As Mazik explains, "Break dancing and
graffiti art was my whole thing, from the fifth grade
on. I always listened to rap, but I never took part in
writing lyrics until I was about to graduate from
high school. I just thought, "Yeah, this is the way to
get your messages out." As Mazik was listening to
rap while break dancing or skating ramps in Vegas,
Beniad was nodding his head in Israel.
Israel? "I was born in Israel and raised in Nigeria,"
he says. His family moved back to the states when
he was thirteen years old. "The first time I was
introduced to rap was while watching break dance
movies," he recalls. "I took whatever money I had
and bought a break dance set. It came with a mat
and a poster on how to do the wave."
Due to a few technicalities with the cats in immi
gration, Beniad and his family were forced to leave
the country for nine months. Music by artists like Run
OMC or Too Short was impossible to find in Israel,
The 1989 Whock & Be
Ep got the ball rolling, bur
the Unwilp and a 50 city
US tour put them on the
map. Then the Chester
fleld Kings Ep launched
their first tour of Europe,
which went well until
Blake had to have a polyp
removed from his vocal
chords. Back in the thick
of things, the emotional
Bounc lp, proves there's
no stopping Jawbreaker
so all Beniad had was three homemade rap tapes.
"That was the only music that moved me," he
recalls. "At the time, I didn't know why I liked rap,
but looking back, I think it's because it's rebellious."
Listening to rap music can be construed as a pas-
sive act of rebellion. Starting a rap group takes that
act one step further, which should make the act of
signing to Eazy-E's label, Ruthless Records, scan-
dalous. According to Beniad, they'd rather be
signed to Ruthless than any other label, Ruthless.
lets you do what you want. We're doing stuff that we
might not be able to do on any other label." Unlike
Eazy-E, or some of the acts signed to his label, Blood
of Abraham is not gangsta-style.
The group's name signifies the commonalities
shared between everyone as direct descendents of
the biblical man sharing the same name (Abraham).
How does this play out in their music? "We talk
about subjects that relate to us, which are like every-
day things," say Beniad. "We don't go around
shootin' nobody and we don't perpetrate to do that
either. We're just regular guys. The Blood of
Abraham's songs reflect the thoughts and con-
cerns of others in their generation. "We have a song
called "Stick to Your Own Kind," he says. "On the
song we're saying we'll kick it with who ever the fuck
we want nobody is going to tell us what to do."
-Rap Lady G
BLOOD OF ABRAHAM
5
I met Nottingham noise meis-
ters, Fudge Tunnel on a cold,
wet English afternoon. We
decided to retire to the near-
est pub, where over a few
beers I asked about their new
Lp Creep Diets, featuring a
monolithic rhythm section and
mega-heavy grunge riffs.
Where exactly does the name
Creep Diets come from?
Dave (bassist): Would you
believe it is a mythical skate
move that very few skaters have
fffffudge
ever pulled off? Failing that,
would you believe that we saw it
written on the back of a van and
thought it would be a good name
for our record?
Yeah, well I could believe that.
Alex (guitarist/singer): Is this for
Thrasher?
Yup.
Dave (who used to skate):
Actually, I think that there should
be a mandatory retirement age
for all skaters, say thirty years and
older. They should give it up
and sit very quietly for long peri-
ods of time.
The vocals on Creep Diets
aren't featured that loudly in
the mix, are they?
Dave: True. We see the vocals as
a sort of instrument and in our
case the least important instru-
ment in the band.
Alex: Besides, we're much more
into guitars
Creep Diets has got a really col-
orful sleeve on it. What was the
story behind the artwork you
had planned for your first Lp,
Hate Songs?
Dave: Basically, we had a kid's
drawing of a man having his head
cut off...
Alex: Which came from this mag-
azine called How to Kill done by
this ex-CIA agent
Dave: The local vice squad raid-
ed Earache Records' office
because of some dodgy artwork
that had been sent abroad. They
saw our intended cover, deemed
it obscene and confiscated it! I
guess they just didn't see the
funny side of it.
You guys make no secret of you
dislike of touring. How was the
European tour you did with
Sepultura?
Alex: It was good and bad. On a
good night, playing live is the
best feeling in the world. But on
a bad night...
Adrian: Forget it!
Any plans to tour the States?
Dave: Yeah, we have two Ameri-
can tours lined up for this year.
Adrian: We've been trying to
make it over for the last two
years. Hopefully this year we'll
pull it off.
BIOH
Billy Graziadei is
a die-hardcore who
plays guitar and sings
for one of New York's
we just do what we do. We don't from. Same with Bobby, he plays "Black, White and Red All Over,"
take any shit or pull any punches, with his heart, moving 90 miles an Biohazard take a stand against
we're right to the point. We're no hour with his eyes closed, just fascism. Since all four members
frills and in your face, and that's using his radar not to bump into grew up in a culturally diverse area,
what we're all about. We 'take life me or Evan."
racial intolerance really pisses them
by the balls and squeeze until
Biohazard is known for its out- off. "At this one show," recalls Billy,
they crunch,' like it says in our spoken stances against violence "there was this barricade with
Calling from somewhere in Germany, song. Most people are smart and racism, and will not tolerate these four or five kids going 'Sieg
enough to see through bullshit, either at shows. "Violence is, Hel Sol jumped off the stage into
and there's no bullshit with us." most of the time, wrong-if not the barricade, and I start playing to
Biohazard's music, whether on always," says Grazladal. "It should all the other kids. So they start
tape or live, reflects the direct be the last alternative. Every time putting their hands in my face,
ness of Graziadei and his fellow there was trouble at our shows, we and one kid sticks his fingers by my
band members-bassist Evan would stop playing, get on the mouth, so I bit him! Then I jumped
Seinfeld, lead guitarist Bobby mic and say, (he raises his voice and beck up on stage and just smiled at
Hambel, and drummer Danny shouts 'Hey asshole! Quit being an them. After that Sick Of It All
Schuler. They've played their share asshole!" After a while we pretty played and a riot got started
of squats and dives, and are final much abolished violence from our because everyone else was sick of
ly, with the success of Urben shows, because the kids knew we these five guys. Those few kids
Discipline, progressing into the wouldn't take any shit.
ruined the show for everyone
world of recognition.
"if you go into a pit to release else, and now that club is closed."
Biohazard built its reputation your energy in a positive way,
Biohazard will never slow down.
almost solely on live shows. then that's cool. If somebody They're like a raging bull, stam
Heady waves of guitar knock the bumps into you-don't get pissed peding and crashing through any
wind out of you, angry vocals grow! off, just get out. And if someone thing that stands in their way-it's
at you and tribal drums beat ritu is standing next to you, whether that Brooklyn way of thinking. "If
alistically around you. Watching, you know him or not, and he falls a door was padlocked in front of
the band is equally amusing. "I love down, you don't kick him in the us, we'd kick it down. If a mountain
singing," says Graziadei. "I head, you pick him up.
was built up, we'd either dig a hole
wouldn't give it up for the world, Unity is what the Biohazard through it, go around, or go over
but I love guitar playing too. I play experience is all about, joining it. For all four of us, that's been the
with emotion, energy, angst and together with no prejudices, and way to go about life, and with our
conviction, that's where I'm coming raging together. With their song, band as well." -Sara Tassione
most demanding new
bands, Biohazard.
"People say we're
responsible for
re-igniting the
New York hardcore
scene, but we don't
make any claims