Between their first and second major-label albums,
Biohazard
trimmed their lineup to a trio, which had the effect of focusing their attack. Where they have had the problem of being a little too diverse in the past, ricocheting from metalized hip-hop to rap-inflected hardcore, the band has now concentrated their energies into creating a singular, piercing sound. There are still elements of metal, rap, and hardcore punk on
Mata Leao
, but they are fused into a cohesive whole, which makes the album more effective than the previous record.
still has a problem with writing strong riffs and convincing lyrics, but music has more power and finesse than their previous releases, and that actually sounds better than the raw, edgy chords that powered their intial indie records. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine