D.R.I.

The early to mid-'80s saw several bands that would merge hard rock/metal together with hardcore -- most being based in New York City at the time (the Crumbsuckers, Cro-Mags, Murphy's Law, and Bad Brains). There were certainly a few exceptions to this "regional rule" however, as evidenced by Texas' D.R.I. The group was responsible for penning several hardcore-metal classics, but tops would have to be the group's self-titled full-length debut from 1984 (complete with Iron Maiden-esque cover artwork). D.R.I. shows from this era are often considered legendary by the band's longtime fans, yet for many years, no official live recordings from this era surfaced -- that was, until Live at CBGB's 1984 in 2005. Containing a whopping 40 tracks on a single disc -- quite a few tracks fail to even reach the one-minute mark -- Live at CBGB's 1984 does a fine job of capturing all of the fury and youth (singer Kurt Brecht sounds like he's about 13 years old). Included are explosive renditions of such early D.R.I. classics as "I Don't Need Society," "Reaganomics," "Dennis' Problem," and "War Crimes." If you frequented Sunday matinee hardcore shows at CBGB's in the '80s, then Live at CBGB's 1984 is sure to bring back some great mosh-pit memories. ~ Greg Prato, All Music Guide