Biohazard + Sworn Enemy + Striking 13 at The Scala, London on 4th August 2026

10 August 2026

Despite being first on the bill, Striking 13 have pulled in a decent sized crowd and one that grows as their set progresses, their sound acting like a magnet pulling people towards the stage as their hardcore/metal fusion echoes throughout the venue. It doesn’t take for a pit to erupt (perhaps the ultimate sign of affirmation), Striking 13 acting like a conduit for all the crowd’s negativity and then channelling it into their own incendiary performance. Although they are pushed to the front of the stage by the other band’s equipment, Striking 13 have turned in a solid set and one that has won them more than a few fans.

Using AC/DC’s ‘For Those About To Rock’ as an intro tape was a wise choice and one which only endears them more to those packed inside the Scala. It’s also pretty prophetic; “Rock” is exactly what the band have come to do and they lay down the law with opening shot, the eponymously-titled ‘Sworn Enemy’. They are acting as a sextet tonight, a triple guitar attack resulting in a riff-heavy assault, and one that finds them rolling like a runaway juggernaut.

Vocalist Sal Lococo is the quintessential frontman and spends the whole set riling up the crowd, leading them towards greater levels of insanity, and in doing so makes this a very enjoyable 40-minutes (plus he gets bonus points for wearing a District 9 T-shirt; that’s the band not the movie). Culling their eight songs from five releases acts as a “best of” kinda set for the hardcore fans and the perfect primer for the newbie, both of who can feel sated by the band’s no-holds-barred set.

Back in the 1980’s New York was a lot more “Taxi Driver”. With many former residents fleeing to the suburbs the city became a burnt out shell populated by drug dealers, drunks, pimps and prostitutes. Thankfully, such conditions are fertile ground for great art and it’s no wonder that the hardcore scene in New York had an emphasis on the hard. Band’s such as Agnostic Front, Cro-Mags and Warzone developed a sound that was just as tough as the streets on which they walked, and perhaps the purest embodiment of this style were Biohazard. With a sound heavy enough to sate metalheads and potent enough to please punks, they helped change the face of metal music and those reverberations are still being felt today. And whilst much music from the late 80’s/early 90’s sounds tired and dated, Biohazard still have a cutting edge and that comes from the authenticity which seeps from their songs and that’s something which has stayed with them throughout their career. It’s pretty apt that they use Bill Conti’s ‘Gonna Fly Now’ (the theme from Rocky) as their intro tape and they land the first blow with opening track ‘Urban Discipline’. Smoking like fresh kill, it’s akin to a bullet appearing between your eyebrows, you don’t really see it until it makes contact, and is all the more powerful for it’s sudden arrival. It’s the spark that lights the flame and sets off a chain reaction that ripples through the crowd; a swirling pit erupts that sucks all into its vortex, whilst it looks like the security guards are going to earn their money tonight as waves of crowd surfers crash over the barrier…and it’s still only the first song!

With the band’s classic line-up back together and firing on all cylinders they take us on a tour de force of the four albums they all played on (arguably the best four in their discography). I first saw Biohazard at the 1994 Monsters Of Rock festival where a full on crowd invasion of the stage nearly caused the plug to be pulled. I’m pleased to report that the years have done little to dampen their sense of danger with tracks such as ‘Fuck The System’ and ‘Wrong Side Of The Tracks’ raising the level of sanity exponentially. Throughout the gig guitarist Bobby Hambel performs his trademark twist while vocalist/guitarist Billy Graziadel walks atop the crowd, held on outstretched arms like Paul Stanley (only here there’s no safety net). If you want to know how Biohazard have defied the years then just look at at bassist/vocalist Evan Seinfeld; he’s ripped and agile, turning in a throat-shredding performance that adds an air of menace to ‘Five Blocks To The Subway’. Perhaps it’s because he’s operating in the hardcore sphere, but Danny Schuler doesn’t get the respect he deserves as a drummer but his jazzy swing on ‘We’re Only Gonna Die (From Our Own Arrogance)’ is spellbinding. Originally recorded by Bad Religion, ‘We’re Only Gonna Die’ is a song Biohazard have wrestled ownership and made their own and it’s pummels us towards closing couplet ‘Punishment’ and ‘Hold My Own’, the latter brings the curtain down in style, ensuring this is one gig that’ll live long in the memory.

Biohazard Set List: