BIOHAZARD/ONYX/BAYWAY/SWOLLEN TEETH/DEAD BY WEDNESDAY
By Joe Perusse
Biohazard wrapped up the latest leg of their Divided We Fall Tour Sunday night at the legendary Toad’s Place, and the whole bill felt like a love letter to loud, sweaty, no-bullshit metal and hardcore. Biohazard brought along Onyx, Bayway, Swollen Teeth and CT’s own Dead By Wednesday for support.
Dead By Wednesday, New Haven’s own, kicked things off in front of an already solid crowd. They came out swinging — after a jam intro, “Shipwrecked” had fists in the air right away. Vocalist Steve Alvarez, rocking a camo kilt, leaned over the barrier screaming, “What the fuck is up, Connecticut?” Guitarist Dave Sharpe ripped through “Invincible” and “Mars in Exile,” while Alvarez climbed into the crowd for “Here Comes the Dead.” By the time he ordered a “whirlpool” pit for “Pawns,” it was full chaos in the best way. Drummer Christian “Opus” Lawrence and bassist Michael Modeste locked in a brutal groove that carried through the whole set.
Swollen Teeth followed, hitting the stage in masks and instantly turning the energy up a notch. Megaa (vocals/sampler), Sun S (bass/vocals), Skutch (drums), and HOG (guitar) didn’t stop moving for a second — headbanging, leaping around, whipping their hair, even Skutch behind the kit. It was their first Connecticut show, and they made sure people remembered it. “Foster” was dedicated to anyone who grew up in foster care — a raw, powerful moment — before Danny Schuler’s (Biohazard) son Jacob came out for “Car Crash,” sending the floor into a full-blown circle pit.
Next up, Bayway repped New Jersey hard. Their whole vibe was family — hardcore lifers who mean what they say. I couldn’t snag a full setlist, but “Streets Is Talking” stood out, with frontman Jayway calling out “all the motherfuckers who talk a lot but got no hands.” The horns went up, HOG jumped back out for guest vocals, and the pit kicked up again. Jayway also got real with the crowd about being two years sober, reminding everyone they’re not alone.
“They Never Learn” hit hard, and before launching into “Bayway,” the band gave a proper shout-out to New Haven pizza. Jayway climbed onto the railing, screaming while Diego Galarraga (bass), Chris Halpin and Tito Valentin (guitars), and Dave Mericle (drums) crushed behind him.
Then came Onyx, and the room just exploded. Fredro Starr and Sticky Fingaz turned Toad’s into a full-on riot — “Throw Ya Gunz” and “Shiftee” had the whole place bouncing. They tossed their jackets aside and had phones in the air for “Bacdafucup.” Between “Bichasniguz,” “Atak of da Bal-Hedz,” and “Da Mad Face Invasion,” it felt like 1993 in the best way. They joked about high school days, clowned on bootleggers, and kept the energy sky-high all the way through “Slam.” By the end, the place was primed for Biohazard.
When Biohazard finally stormed the stage, the pit lit up instantly for “Shades of Grey.” Evan Seinfeld shouted out Toad’s right away, and Billy Graziadei was literally walking on top of the crowd during “Wrong Side of the Tracks.” “Fuck the System,” off the new record, had middle fingers in the air from front to back. The floor went off for “Urban Discipline,” and then Onyx came back out for “Judgment Night” — Sticky Fingaz climbing the EVH stack mid-song like it was 1992 again. “Forsaken,” another new one, landed heavy, followed by a massive sing-along to “Black and White and Red All Over.”
Bobby Hambel made sure everyone was having fun (and got his New Haven pizza shoutout in) before dedicating “Down for Life” to anyone fighting cancer. “Tales From the Hard Side” hit hard, and Graziadei told a wild story about almost getting arrested back when he lived in Connecticut. They ripped through “Eyes on Six” and “How It Is” before Seinfeld demanded a “real” circle pit — stopping “We’re Only Gonna Die” midway to roast the crowd until it went completely nuts.
For the finale, things got personal. Seinfeld’s son Sam Solomon jumped in on vocals, and Danny Schuler’s son Jacob grabbed a guitar for “Punishment.” “Hold My Own” closed the night out, the crowd still moving, pit still spinning.
Thirty years in, Biohazard proved they can still throw down harder than just about anyone — and Toad’s Place was the perfect place to remind everyone why.
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