Unsung heroes of straightforward speed
metal, the Dirty Rotten Imbeciles have for over twelve years avoided the icky
concepts of "experimentation" and "diversity" by faithfully bringing us, the
nonreceptive fans, record after record full of faster, louder, heavier chunks
of distorted guitar chords, out-of-control pogo rhythms, and shouting neighbor
vocals. Use the word "predictable" all you want, friend, but in an age where
we've sat by idly as Metallica turned pop, Megadeth turned funk, and Slayer
turned midtempo, it's more refreshing than a tasty bar of soap to be able to
follow a band whose musical tastes don't change with every season...or, in
fact, AT ALL. D.R.I. like it loud and fast, with an occasional slower heavy one
giving them a chance to demonstrate their fondness for early Black Sabbath.
But that's occasional. Since they started off as a hyperspeed hardcore
punk band, speed is what they're all about, and they do it extremely well.
Guitarist Spike Cassidy has a wonderful talent for coming up with riffs that,
though sterile and uninspired when you sit there and hum them to yourself,
nevertheless kick all sorts of lousy ass when applied to the aesthetics of the
band. (They're speed metal riffs; how complex are they gonna be?) And singer
Kurt Brecht has graciously accepted the fact that he has no musical ability,
thus freeing him from such binding conventions as "pitch" and "key," so he can
concentrate all his energies on yelling as fast as he can. Oh sure, there's
the rare moment when he will attempt to shout a particular note, but he
usually fails. He's a dandy screamer, though. Real quick, as he must be to
keep up with the pace of the ever-changing rhythm section (I believe they're
now on their third drummer and fifth bassist - but who gives a crap?).
I love
'em. If you're looking for an unbiased critique of the Dirty Rotten
Imbeciles's music, don't look here, mister. I love 'em too much. But then
again, there is no such thing as an unbiased critique, as every critic
has his own list of what qualities make music "good," so...go ahead! Read my
entirely unbiased critique of the Dirty Rotten Imbeciles's music! And then go
buy all of it!
* Dirty Rotten LP / Violent Pacification -
Rotten 1983,84,87. *
![Rating = 10](/web/20240424130706im_/https://markprindle.com/ten.jpg)
The ultimate hardcore record. 26 songs in 22 minutes,
and it would have been even shorter if it weren't for that darned three-minute
"Violent Pacification" epic. I guess this was recorded when they lived in
Texas, but it's not a terribly cowboy-oriented record. In fact, the songs are
every bit as vicious and fierce as you'd expect from taking a gander at the
cover portrait of a skeleton in army gear busting into a house (the original
cover was different - I'm just talking about the reissue here - you'll never
find the original, anyway...). The crisp lightning speed drums sound like a
military drummer gone ballistic, the vocals are thrown at you at an
incomprehensible tempo (e.g. "Why" has four verses - and the entire song is
eighteen seconds long), and the guitar is thrashing out piercing chord
sequences that will all sound exactly the same to you the first eight or nine
times you hear the record. If you give them the time they deserve, they
eventually reveal themselves to be 26 completely different catchy punk
melodies that are just being played way too fast, but, for those of you who
just can't find anything to grab hold of, the band helps you out a little bit,
as they're wont to do. They give you a guitar solo in "Sad To Be," a slow
building break in "Violent Pacification," an air-raid guitar intro in "Balance
Of Terror," a dark arpeggiated intro in "Blockhead," some funny a capella
cussing in "Couch Slouch," as well as an entire a capella verse in "No Sense,"
echoed vocals in "Plastique" - my point, you see, is that there are anchors
that will help you distinguish the songs from each other until you've heard
them enough to adore and cherish each individual one as it should be
cherished. Again, this is the ultimate hardcore record. Catchy, violent,
loud, insane, smart, political, funny - and, fellow, awfully fast. Plus, as
with all D.R.I., the louder you play it, the better it sounds.
- Reader Comments
- aaronf@cencom.net
As much as I like the early DRI stuff, Husker Du's Land Speed Record is
the ultimate hardcore album.
- chris@intown.net (Chris Schwarz)
Get it! Got it? Good! An absolutely essential album to anybody who
considers themselves to be a fan of the musical genre known as "hardcore."
It's faster and harder than most of the stuff that's deemed "hardcore"
that's being released today! That should tell you something about how
monumental and significant this
record is. I was listening to a hardcore radio show when I first heard the
song "War Crimes" and was left reeling and breathless -- bludgeoned by the
sheer speedy ferocity of it all. The other songs are just as good! I
immediately set out to find myself a copy of said album, but, sadly and
regrettably, to no avail. So now I'm forced to listen to every hardcore
radio show on the air, hoping that they'll somehow absent-mindedly spin the
entire Dirty Rotten LP on the air so's my desperate self can finally
record every hurried note of it. Dirty Rotten LP is the best thing DRI
ever did, and I would donate half of my organs to medical science if I
could get my hands on a copy of it.
- rhanna@pathway.net
dirty rotten imbeciles .....greatest hardcore record ever?
hmm.....you obviously are not familiar with discharge's
hear nothing see nothing say nothing record.
- ACG116@webtv.net (Arthur Groth)
d.r.is 1st album is the best album ive ever heard.
- Alex Bender
the first DRI release, Dirty Rotten, was remixed for the CD reissue.
the songs from the Violent Pacification 7" and some demo tracks
are also scattered amongst the tracks from Dirty Rotten. it's really
worth tracking down the original LP, since it makes the remixed
CD sound like a laminated piece of shit. honestly, the original mix
sounds like shit too, but at least a raw piece of shit with much
more low end in the mix that really packs a punch. DRI has been
selling copies of them at their website for $15 (got mine directly
from them), but i don't know if their supply has dwindled yet.
- frankie@dawson9310.fsworld.co.uk
i totally agree with you,the dirty rotten ep,12" or lp(whatever)is top five record material.awesome display of hardcore punk.
- david@cteainc.com
I've listened to this like 6 or 7 times now and I have to say I agree
with your review very much. The closer you listen to this the more the
little guitar details stand out. At first, it sounds WAY too fast and
crazy but later on (and isn't this true with almost all good music)
after repeated listens it slows down for you and the great riffs and
really nice drum work comes into play. To me, this also reminds me of
Black Flag (1st 4 years version) really, really sped up. Very good
stuff, Prindle. Thanks for turning me on to this.
BTW - You were talking about Helmet yesterday and I noticed on one of
those MP3 Blogs ("Something I learned today"
http://somethingilearned.blogspot.com/) Page Hamilton had a band named
Gandhi that made very Helmetish music. Pretty good stuff. Never put out
an album though. There's 4 MP3 on that site.
- deathpunk@gmail.com
One of the best albums ever made, but only after you listen to it at least 20 times. Before that, everything is muddled together into a wall of unlistenable sonic intensity, but over time, everything spreads out into 27 individual chunks, all of them a joy to listen to at extremely high volumes in the dark. This album makes me want to put on camo, join the army and kill people, and the hypersonic cymbal-heavy drumming only makes me want to do this more. 10/10
- ddickso2@uccs.edu
This might raise some Aier (or "Eyre," as the Irish call it), but I'll
say it loud and proud:
Mark Prindle's old band the Low-Maintenance Perennials is a far, far,
FAR better outfit than this group o' punks. At least on Dirty Rotten
LP. Perhaps it's like comparing apples to oranges (to cite one
difference, LuMP actually have a sense of humor), but if you're going
to make a violently loud noisy hardcore-inspired album with
minute-long songs, fer Christ's sake, do it the LuMP way! Or at least
the Work Bench Drawer way. Diversity is the key, my friends. Christ,
I even like Tamara better than this.
Must be that the drums are too loud. Can't hear the riffs. Or the
lyrics, for that matter. Yeah, that's another thing--why don't
hardcore punks enunciate their message from time to time? Somebody
take their peanut butter away.
I give this a six. The second side is at least varied compared to the
first, and it's pretty exciting for the noise it is. Still just
noise, tho'. Black Flag--OPERATIC noise. Get that first.
Add your
thoughts?
Dealing With It! - Death 1985.
![Rating = 9](/web/20240424130706im_/https://markprindle.com/nine.jpg)
Here's where they begin the odious tradition of
sticking slow parts in the middle of fast songs; when done conscientiously,
this is a great tool for increasing the intensity of the fast parts, but
D.R.I. sometimes really blow it and just louse up perfectly good fast songs by
bogging them down with irritating turtle parts ("Karma" and "Soup Kitchen"
come to mind, and "Argument Then War" comes close). But I suppose they
figured they couldn't just keep redoing the first album over and over again,
so they made the most minor change possible. But don't you worry; the speed
is still there in spades. You like spades? I prefer hearts, but spades is
okay. Better than Uno, anyway. Ha! Look at how witty and irreverent I can be!
This one has 25 songs in 34 minutes. Still
hardcore; the difference is that this one isn't recorded nearly as viciously
and cymbal-crash-heavy as the debut, so it doesn't really kick your ass from
the military end; it's more of a guitar-chord-driven thing this time. The
melodies are easier to find (even though they're still extremely speedy), and thus probably
easier to enjoy the first time you hear them. Classics include "I'd
Rather Be Sleeping," "Mad Man" (about and featuring Kurt's asshole father),
re-recordings of the debut's classics "Yes Ma'am," "I Don't Need Society,"
"Couch Slouch," and "Reaganomics" ("Reaganomics killing me! / Reaganomics
killing me! / Reaganomics killing me! / Reaganomics killing you!" repeated
four times), and the band's first two forays into the heavy metal realm which
would soon completely immerse them - the fantastic galloping "Nursing Home
Blues" and the weaker, plodding "Argument Then War."
Even though it has
three or four lousy songs and the mix isn't real conducive to butt kickin'
(plus Kurt barely yells - he mostly just SAYS everything), there are still so
many terrifically catchy melodies here ("Give My Taxes Back," "Slit My Wrist,"
"Snap," and plenty more) that I would barely hesitate to call it a "great"
record. Completely unprofessional. Sickening suburban mudcore, trying not to
puke from the hangover and the screaming parents and the crap on TV, and
knowing that you have to get the hell outta there and find something
interesting to do as soon as possible, or who knows what might happen to your
slowly-decaying mind? I remember puberty. And I see they do too.
- Reader Comments
- agershman@cnc.com (The Skanker)
Those "irritating turtle parts" are called mosh parts and they really
don't irritate me. I get irritated when people fail to realize that
Dealing With It is THE BEST D.R.I. record. This is the one that has all
good songs from start to finish. And you Mr. Critic lump it in with
Crossover and Four of a Kind. "Five Year Plan" is a great tune but the
rest of that album is boring. Four of a kind has more lousy tunes than
good tunes and is too slick sounding. And D.R.I. should sound like
they're jamming in their basement, Mr. "Completley Unprofessional".
DEALING WITH IT RULES - Fancy Production Quality or Not!
- jltichenor@earthlink.net (James L. Tichenor)
I was pleasantly surprised Mark- this one is every bit as loud,
hardcore, nasty and heavy as I expected it to be. And, fortunately,
their first one, which I hear is out of print is being tracked down for
moi. Can't wait, seeing as practically everyone I've talked to likes
their first better. Man, for 1985 this stuff just kicks! They were
definately ahead of their time.
- thrashard82@hotmail.com
Ive been contemplating something over the weekend. People say,"D.R.I. was better before the transition", some say,"D.R.I. is better since the transition". I was one of the people who liked them better after the crossover, but now, after sitting down and listening to dealing with it over the weekend, i realized that it is awesome. D.R.I. is D.R.I. That, from now on, is my opinion. Please post this. Thank you very much. My numbers up I have to go.
- deathpunk@gmail.com
I gave this one two listens immediately after I got it (which was after my D.R.I. collection was already quite large), put it away and didn't listen for a year. Now after, pulling it back out, I'm finding that's it's a very diffcult record to judge in the traditional sense, since it has some absolutely great points and some abysmal ones.
The absolute worst aspect of the album is the rerecordings; every single one of them (with the notable exception being Couch Slouch, which is no better orworse than the original) are completely unlistenable. I Don't Need Society and The Explorer are the bottom of the barrel, taking the anthemic and angry beginning and end of the amazing first D.R.I. LP and turning them into lifeless messes. There is no better proof than the faded-in intro to IDNS with it's fancy drums and Kurt moaning the word "Searching" (with emphasis on the "ing") during The Explorer, lacking all the intensity of the original recording. Dealing With It! also suffers from extreme repetition at times, with a good five or six of the originals sounding almost exactly the same, lacking the small creative aspects that made every single song on The Dirty Rotten LP so unique.
However, the good is GOOD. I'd Rather Be Sleeping, Mad Man, Karma, and Stupid Stupid War are all classics. Plus, the metal side of the band is really starting to shine through here. All in all, seven great songs do not make up for 16-odd mediocre and poor ones, but this one's still worth a listen if you're a fan. I would rate it 5/10.
Add your
thoughts?
Live At CBGB's 1984 - Beer City 2005
![Rating = 8](/web/20240424130706im_/https://markprindle.com/eight.jpg)
My number's up; I have to write
System says, "Do it tonight!"
Stuck in a chair like an English tutor
Sent off to type on a useless computer
Thousands of minutes spent in this Hell
Never really writing well
Fuck The System; they can't have me
I won't review Live At CBGB!
- Reader Comments
- The System
Awww, come on. At least tell 'em it has 40 songs in 40 minutes, including the first album in its entirety -- almost in the exact order in which the songs appear on that record! And at least tell 'em about when Kurt says, "This song is called 'Closet Punk.' It's about... you closet punks." And tell 'em about how the sound is much better and more ass-kicking than on the Live CD that came out in the '90s. And tell 'em how 7 of the songs right near the end have terrible sound because they didn't have the soundboard recording so Spike put some shitty sound from a video camera on there instead (so the CD would feature the complete show). Other than that, you don't have to tell 'em anything though. They should know how much ass early DRI kixxx.
Oh, also -- you've been drafted.
- thrashard82@hotmail.com
What do you mean the live cd of the 90's isnt any good. The five year plan on that cd rules. Kurt does an awesome job, and by the way, Kurt never did hit notes. Hes not a singer, hes a hardcore icon who doesnt need to sing to be successful. He can shout just fine. This is in friendly conversation.
Im not trying to be an ass. e mail me back, and let me know what you think of my opinion.
Add your
thoughts?
Crossover - Metal Blade 1987.
![Rating = 9](/web/20240424130706im_/https://markprindle.com/nine.jpg)
Speed metal. Man, did they lose a ton of fans with this
one. Only 12 songs in 36 minutes???? Yes. They're a heavy
metal band now. But, aside from the lengths of the songs, very little has
changed. The production is about a million times better than on the last two,
the guitar and drums are louder and meaner, Kurt yells assuredly, and the
whole thing just screams at you like only an angry record or bitter old gentlefellow
can. In fax, I'll go so far as to say that if you ain't bangin' your head to
at least half of these, there's something completely wrong with your immune
system. The added "heaviness" that comes with the crossover adds so
much to the power of the band, I can't believe how many hardcore fans it
pissed off! "The Five Year Plan," "Hooked," "Go Die," and "Oblivion" alone
kick so much ass, I wouldn't be able to park my bicycle if air sounded like
them! And Spike is becoming a fantastic guitar player - dig that crazy intro
to "Fun And Games" - cool, eh? Notes? Non-4/4 rhythm? Evil tone? Not all
of these melodies are quite as memorable, but they're so massive, tense,
hasty, and LOUD that it hardly matters. Extremely malevolent, but not in a
dumb Satan way. These songs are about the joys of everyday living - revenge,
jail, stress, impending nuclear destruction, drug addiction - you know, the
good things that make every day alive a jolly picnic at the amusement park
with a sucker and a big tasty beach ball.
- Reader Comments
- jnw@iglobal.net (Jim Hull)
Okay, just picked this up in the cut-out bin at my local Blockbuster
Music, and it rocks. Hilariously bad-but-earnest lyrics, and crushing
guitar that made me wring my hands wistfully..."Fun And Games" is my
favorite cut..."Hooked" is pretty shreddy also...they also score points
with their limited liner notes which thank you--the fan--for supporting
them...and I'm not being sarcastic here...$2.99 was a bargain...why
aren't they bigger?
- liberty@ptialaska.net (Marc Kovac)
This was *the* album for all high school varsity hockey players in small
towns until Nevermind was released.
- bullhead69@hotmail.com
The ever-fabulous DRI isn't bigger because most people's musical taste
absolutely SUCKS! You know what they say, "If it smells, it sells".
This album kicks. "Five-Year Plan" and whatever the second song is,
are crucial speedcore for the self-actualized fan. Corporate rock sux!!
- Michael.X.Aspiotes@bankofamerica.com
Why aren't D.R.I. "bigger"? Check out their web site: They sell their own merchandise, abhor pop culture commercialism, and remain unprecedentedly original. Bigger is not better, my friend!
- thrashard82@hotmail.com
I really enjoyed and agreed with your review of Crossover. Its the album that began the seperation of the men (Crossover, Four of a Kind, and Thrashzone), from the boys, (Dirty rotten LP, Dealing with it). Dont get me wrong, I love the older albums, but compared to the band that emerged after Crossover, they are sub par, with the exception of Karma, On my way Home, Marriage, and Argument then war. Those songs kick some serious ass. Dont get me wrong all you punks, I can see where you are coming from, I love to bang my head to the unbelievably fast Sad to be, and Blockhead, not to forget Violent Pacification. Please post this review on your site. Ill appreciate it. Thanks.
- deathpunk@gmail.com
I feel sorry for all the people who are convinced that D.R.I. are a punk band at heart and should never have crossed over, because they sure know how to do fast metal right. As with (almost) every D.R.I . album, it begins and ends brilliantly and the stuff in between is jolly good as well (though by no means as good as what came immediately after). A Coffin isn't that great, but hey, they can't all be winners. Plus, a fun sneak preview of 4 Of A Kind at the end! 8/10
Add your
thoughts?
Four Of A Kind - Metal Blade
1988.
![Rating = 9](/web/20240424130706im_/https://markprindle.com/nine.jpg)
The tightest record they've ever made, which probably
has something to do with the fact that this is the only time in their career
when they had the same line-up for two studio albums in a row. They got
acquainted on Crossover, so this one was a breeze. They already knew
each other musically, so it was just a matter of putting the songs on tape. If
you're looking for taut speed metal, as nine out of ten folks generally is,
look no further except maybe ....And Justice For All by Metallica.
But, keeping to this here subject, Four Of A Kind is extremely
professional and well-produced (the guitars are louder than an aeroplane
sailing delicately across the ocean!), with well-thought-out metal riffs, nice
bass bits and guitar noises, and crudloads of extremely speedy rhythms. No
plodding at all. No time to plod! There are a few slow midsong bits, but
they never sound forced. It all flows just as smoothly as a bucket of pudding
slithering down the firepole. This was a wonderful era for this wonderful
outfit; they had the support of a popular label, tons of metalhead fans, and a
real intra-combo musical communication driving them all the while. It's easy
to see why punks would hate it, but it's tailor-made for metal guys. I went
to high school with a gang of metalheads (including Chris Benton and Eric
Mixon, of all unlikely people) who adored this record. While the punks were
blasting "I Don't Need Society" and moshing around the halls like a bunch of
damn idiots, the metalheaders were pumping "Suit And Tie Guy" and "Modern
World" and running around in a little circle like a bunch of mature
librarians. You see, unlike Suicidal Tendencies, D.R.I. pulled off the
crossover because they stuck with the unifying factor - SPEED. Screw punks
who don't accept the new stuff. Whose musical tastes do you wanna trust here?
Mine? Or that of some guy who thinks it's cool to have a mohawk in 1996? Eh?
Eh? Yeah, that's what I figured.
- Reader Comments
- jnw@iglobal.net (Jim Hull)
Pretty good stuff...this sounds good blasting from the Ford Ranger
factory stereo...nice not-quite-generic riffs...and I was prepared to
hate this...won over though, by the neato riffing and tight as a nun's
c*** rhythm section...dope, fly, and fresh...kinda makes you want to
skate...or bang your head against the dashboard...
- llemieux@microtec.net (TI-BRIN)
Four of a kind, great record????? I sleep on it !! It's the
biggest crap than D.R.I. never did and never will. D.R.I. is NOT a metal
band but a PUNK band , listen to the lyrics, look at their attitude , go at
a D.R.I. show and if that is not punk tell me what the hell it is !?!
- johnc@212hardware.com (John Castiglia)
This was the first DRI record I bought. I was 13 years old and what attracted me to them was the cool-as-hell logo. I enjoyed the record, particularly Dead in a Ditch and Suit and Tie Guy. I played it for all of my Metallica loving friends. It is a great thrash record. However, I received DRI's live video Live at the Ritz as a gift from my Uncle Jim shortly after I bought this album. I didn't recognize any of the songs, but I figured it must be good. Holy Shit!! I couldn't get over the speed of some of the songs. It wasn't thrash, that's for sure. My friends hated it, but I couldn't get enough of it. I became a big fan of their earlier work. So all in all, this album is a great thrash record, but nothing compared to the majesty of the earlier work.
- deathpunk@gmail.com
The best thrash metal album ever recorded, without a doubt. It's angry enough to mosh to yet doesn't sound like it was recorded in a shed (Crossover) or with each band member on a seperate corner of a football field (Dealing With It!). Plus, every single song on here kicks some serious ass, with Gone Too Long and All For Nothing being two of my favorite songs EVER. Can't miss this one. 9/10
Too bad Thrash Zone and basically everything after it are so mediocre.
Add your
thoughts?
Thrash Zone - Metal Blade 1989.
![Rating = 8](/web/20240424130706im_/https://markprindle.com/eight.jpg)
A minor slip. Their bass player quit to join the much
weaker Gang Green, and the juggernaut is busted. The sense of togetherness
isn't here. Most of the songs are catchy as hey anyway (especially
"Abduction," "Drown You Out," and "Strategy" - all metal, all the time), but
there are a few real stinkies on here that kinda ruin the overall record for
me and those like me. The thumping idiotic "Gun Control" is probably the
worst song they've ever recorded, but the abysmally-arranged "Thrashard" comes
pretty close - and "Beneath The Wheel," though not necessarily a bad
song, nevertheless drags on for about seventy-nine hours longer than any song
with only three different parts should bother. Aside from these three clunkers,
though, this is a pretty wonderful collection of cold mechanical heavy metal
songs. The sweat and fury of Crossover is nowhere to be found, but in
its stead is an intriguing sterile studio feel that gives the impression of a
soulless machine making tight heavy noises while the drummer for Bad Religion
does his little "doop-chick" thing in the background for forty minutes. But
then, I suppose a lot of heavy metal is like that. It's what they call
"tightness." And it sure beats the crap out of the messy, stupid "Gun
Control" and "Thrashard" (which doesn't). Side two pretty much rules,
actually. Songs about the drudgery of playing in an unsuccessful rock band
give the album a much more personal feel than the others, which were mostly
made up of various social complaints. Now don't you go and get me wrong -
there's plenty of social complaints here, too - but we get a sense of who
D.R.I. are as people when we hear lines like "Try to stay healthy / Try to get
laid / Make it to the show / That's the trade!" Repulsive? Maybe. But
honest, which is more than I can say for most people. This goddamn
world's full of cheats and liars. They're crawling all over the goddamn
place! But this is a very good record. Just ignore those stinkers.
- Reader Comments
- bullhead69@hotmail.com
Any, and I mean ANY band that promotes gun control is trying to steal
my rights and yours and should be branded-"Left-Wing Assholes".
However, since it was DRI, I'll let this one track slide. The rest of
the album rules...and, it "Thrashard" really that bad? I think not.
- rm213@webtv.net
Every song on thrashzone kicks ass including thrashard and beneath the
wheel, I agree about what you said about gun control, lyrically, but
musically it is still pretty good. I have seen them twice and they are
killer live too. There aren't any D.R.I. c.d.'s that I don't like.
- kellychad@sympatico.ca
I was 14 when I bought the Thrashzone album in 1989. I must have worn
the tape out. I do think Gun Control was a bit weak, but Thrashard still
kicks ass even 15 years later!!
- edm1213@msn.com
This is probably my favorite D.R.I., thought i like the first one and Dealing With It also. Hell, I even think "Thrashard" and "Gun Control" kick ass. Btw, Bullhead69, though a Melvins fan, should really save his viewpoints for NRA.Com. Do you really need assault weapons to shoot a deer? Keeping guns out of the hands of dangerous people a bad idea? This ain't the Old West, folks. And i like guns myself, i'm not some far left nut who's for banning all guns, i just think a little common sense would go a long way. Too bad D.R.I. kind of went downhill on Definition imo, but the 80s stuff kicked more ass than always overrated C.O.C. and is right up there with Suicidal as the kings of crossover. Crossover was a good album too. All 80s D.R.I. gets 9/10, including Thrash Zone.
Add your
thoughts?
Definition - Rotten 1992.
![Rating = 7](/web/20240424130706im_/https://markprindle.com/seven.jpg)
After a three-year layoff, it was nice to see that my
beloved fast boys hadn't broken up (although they lost their drummer, who had
been with them since Dealing With It!), but it was a little dismaying
to hear what they had been up to for three years. Or rather, what they HADN'T
been up to (i.e. writing decent songs). Most of the melodies follow the same
ascending-chord pattern, most of the lyrics are disgustingly similar ("Say
It," "Don't Ask," "Let It Go," "Hide Your Eyes"), most of the songs have very
poorly-placed slow parts in the middle, almost as if they just needed to give
the new drummer a chance to rest, and, worst of all, the production is
shit!!!!! This is the least heavy "heavy metal" album I've ever heard! You
can hardly hear the guitars, there's no tightness, no low end - they just
sound like a messy punk band that slows down way too often! Okay, enough
complaints. Now I'll tell you the good things about it - every song has a
really catchy main melody (often, it is replaced by a dull one, but they all
revolve around a catchy melody), the group is still playing really fast, and
they've replaced the heaviness with a sense of renewed band unity. You can
hear the entire band, and they sound like people - not machines. Plus, you
can tell that they're having fun; there are lots of silly bass breaks and
musical jokes, as well as Kurt's hilariously self-deprecating "Tone Deaf." So
at least there's that. And if you listen real close, you can hear that Spike
is still playing his patented harmonic breaks; they're just harder to hear
'cuz of the messy "band-oriented" live-sounding mix, which sucks! If you're
gonna play heavy metal, make sure to include the "heavy" part! Otherwise,
it's just fast, tinny racket!!!
Add your
thoughts?
Live - Rotten 1994
![Rating = 5](/web/20240424130706im_/https://markprindle.com/five.jpg)
Well, the drummer sounds good! Too bad you can't hear
the guitar, and the singer keeps missing every single note he tries to hit
("Argument Then War" is ugly. VERY ugly.). A rotten idea, but I guess they
knew that. Don't buy this. D.R.I. are a much better band than the one
playing on this crappily-recorded, worthless document.
- Reader Comments
- C.S.Harrison@newcastle.ac.uk
This album FUCKIN` ROCKS like a bastard .
Definitely an essential purchase !
- phallus@ix.netcom.com (Anson)
the "live" recording of dri's preformance at the palladium is an
embodiment of many of their best songs, and the energy meant to be
expressed in them. You are most likely about the production and mixing
faults, because you have been spoiled by the "big" sounding bands of
madern heavy/death metal. This "live" recording is for the many people
who don't have the oppertunity to see DRI live, and must settle for mere
studio recordings. fuck you.
- cjakubin@dido.com
What you hated about this album is what I loved about it. True and Hard
DRI. They make no apologys for this. They played, kicked ass and recorded
it. No dubbs, cuts from other shows, ect. Its straight, forward, and to
the point. I loved hearing all my favorite tunes live. Who ever said Kurt
could hit a note anyway.
- fx6795@msn.com (Frank Otley)
I really hoped to see a geniuine review of a band's work I have long admired and a band I have been able to see many times over the years. A band that
sells their own Cd's T-shirts and singer's books themselves. A band that when I've seen them play the songs you yell at then after 4-6 beers inspire you
to.
Your review of Definition was half-ass at best. The album is a testament to a band that could change drummers in mid-stride and complete a fantastic
piece of work.Case in point the song "the application" ,a catchy toon about the problems of the unemployed loons of the world on a job hunt. "The
target" I would have to say is such the catchy ass toon that I still crank it up 10 years later and it still kicks ass.
I don't know how old you are but in my many years of show going the damn DRI show is unparellelled. In world of bands that play everything but what
you would like to hear,for 15 to 30 dollars a show,DRI stand alone at 5 to 10 dollars a crack for quality.
Add your
thoughts?
Full Speed Ahead - Rotten 1995
![Rating = 8](/web/20240424130706im_/https://markprindle.com/eight.jpg)
Yes!!!!!! They're back!!!!! And heavier than a big
ol' pile o' dirt!!!!! They've got their guitars tuned down to a low C, so
even the slow songs completely pound your head into the dirt!!! Mean, loud,
tight, fast - and by far the heaviest metal they've ever done. Plus, not that
this is necessarily a good thing, but they've added a Sabbathy
funkiness to some of the slower ones (you can actually feel yourself swinging
to "Syringes In The Sandbox" and "Dead Meat") that sounds really cool in
between all the really speedy ones. Also there mister guy, the lyrics are
top-of-the-food-chain again and some of these melodies are among their finest
ever ("Under The Overpass," "Drawn And Quartered," "Sucker," "Down To The
Wire," and "Underneath The Surface" all get my vote). And any complaint you
can make about the funky slow songs can be completely avoided by simply
skipping those few. There are 16 great songs to choose from, most of them as
mean, loud, and forceful as anything they've ever done. A wonderful wonderful
comeback from a bunch of old men that I, for good reason, had almost
completely lost faith in. Man, this one kicks ass. I'm so proud of them! I
can now bring them up in polite conversation without having to say, "Well, they're not as good as
they used to be, but...." Mister, take this from me, a D.R.I. fanatic,
they ARE as good as they used to be. Buy this for proof. And maybe listen to
it on RANDOM. The songs are fantazzawoo, but the song order ain't that great.
And one last thing - I'm ashamed of all of those NYC punks who, at D.R.I.'s
last appearance in town, kept shouting, "Just play stuff from your first two
albums!" Yes, their debut is a classic. A godlike hardcore classic.
Undeniably. But, man, their career hasn't exactly jumped off a bridge, you
know? They're still writing some really good songs! Too bad you'll never
hear them. Arrested development? Yeah - YOU, you weakass punker.
- Reader Comments
- bullhead69@hotmail.com
Greetings, great page!
My younger brother was always talking to me about the first dri
album when we were kids. I ran out and bought Dealing with It, and
loved it! I still have the original vinyl! I've never had the chance
to even hear the first album, but, if what my brother says is true, it's
a classic. The latest record Full Speed Ahead, is, by far, their best
effort. EXCELLENT! I hope these guys stick around 'til they're 50 if
they can. It would be nice to see these guys live; do they even tour
any more? As well, my vote for the best all time hardcore album is, get
ready, Reign in Blood (SLAYER). Nothing before or after kicks like
this record. Listen to it again, in one shot, and tell me differently.
Anyway, thanx for the page.
...and, of course, there's only one best band in the world: MELVINS
- cjakubin@dido.com
It takes alot of heart to continue what DRI has started. This is a band
that has struggled its whole carrer and still puts out albums. How many
mid 80 hardcore bands are still around today. DRI has shown its guts and
courage to continue through this "Hardcore, Metal, is dead" Era. Rock on
DRI.
- llemieux@microtec.net (TI-BRIN)
What the hell are you talking about? I'm from Montreal and I'm a "weakass
punker" (like you said) D.R.I. is a PUNK band. At D.R.I. 'show the
majority is punk . Shot your mouth whit your stupid metal songs . I'm sure
you are a jerk who wear hippie 's stuff whit peace symbols on your shirt
and you choke weed and feel like an acid trip!! D.R.I. can't come to Canada
so I see them in the u.s.
- olivia@mail.camtech.net.au
It's quite clear that the constitution does not allow people to possess
weapons as they do in real life, it's a useful tool though for the
powerful for people to isolate and kill each other with. D.R.I. is
attempting to provide a notion of unity, but as long as you can label
them "left-wing" you're in a nice comfort zone aren't you, you fucking
indoctrinated fool.
- frank_crow@hotmail.com
Under the overpass has got to be one of their best pieces ever. Drawn
and Quartered is a close second with lyrics that might make you bust out laughing in
public ( if you're high enough ) "Changing with the times like rolling
with the punches...basing my decisions on theories and hunches." I don't know...some
people don't get it but I totally dig this album and this band...I'm as
"old man" as they are and I'll kick your young little punk butts in a mosh pit anyday. OY!!
- thrashard82@hotmail.com
I received Full Speed ahead in the mail from e bay. The best fucking D.R.I.
Album out. Drawn and Quartered fucking rules, Under the overpass is fucking killer as well. The boys became really outdone themselves on this one..........well thought out songs, with alot of effort...........awesome job D.R.I. Kurts vocals were the best hes ever done.
- deathpunk@gmail.com
Did you hear that Spike from DRI has cancer? I just found this out today...
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thoughts?
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