Reborn In Defiance, the new studio album from New York hardcore metal act BIOHAZARD, will be released on January 20, 2012. The CD will be made available via Nuclear Blast outside of North America, with a US label partner soon to be announced. The band will celebrate the launch with a record-release party in its hometown of Brooklyn, New York before setting off on an extensive international tour.

Not only is Reborn In Defiance Biohazard‘s first original lineup album in 18 years, but it also marks the last album recorded by the band before the departure of bassist and co-vocalist Evan Seinfeld. The effort remains a testament to the four founding members (Billy Graziadei, Bobby Hambel, Evan Seinfeld and Danny Schuler) and their chemistry.

“Biohazard has always been a mixture of our personalities, passion, chaos and angst that makes us who we are,” says vocalist and guitarist Billy Graziadei. “It’s this energy that comes out of us when we’re together that is Biohazard.”

Having last recorded and toured as the fundamental lineup with the release of State Of The World Address back in 1994, Biohazard reformed with all four original members back in 2008 to commemorate the band’s 20th anniversary. They went back out on the road together over the next two years, during which time inspiration struck.

“When we first got back together, we knew it would take us a while to figure out how to be a band again,” drummer Danny Schuler explains. “We toured the world over the next 18 months and were genuinely surprised when audiences everywhere reacted as positively as they did. So we started jamming, and we knew there was something there for us to build on. We wanted to take the live energy we were creating and capture it in the studio.”

The legendary Toby Wright (ALICE IN CHAINS, METALLICA, SEVENDUST, KORN) was brought in to produce the 13-track “Reborn In Defiance”, which was recorded in Los Angeles. He turned out to be exactly what the band needed.

“Not only does Toby Wright have excellent music knowledge and engineering skills, but he knew exactly how to work with us on a personal level. He made us keep our attention on the music, and that focus was exactly what Biohazard needed,” explains Hambel. “Toby pushed each of us to bring out the best we have to offer, and we went beyond our comfort zone without ever losing sight of the general vision we all had for this record.”

Adds Schuler, “It was made in the same tradition of every album we’ve ever made together, a bunch of guys in a room, looking to move the world with our words and music. We’re very proud of what we’ve done on this record; it ties together everything about what made us unique in the past, with a new attitude and excitement towards the future.”

The band will embark on a massive world tour following their record release party in New York, with concerts in Europe, North America, Australia, Asia and South America planned. Dates and details will be announced shortly.

As a thank you for their loyal fans, Biohazard is giving away a free track titled “Vengeance Is Mine” from the new album. Fans can download the track from the band’s Facebook page.

Graziadei states, “There are three elements of creating an album: the album you want to make, the album you make and the album you wish you made. ‘Reborn In Defiance’ is the first album for us that has hit all three, and we’re psyched to finally bring it to the masses.”