D.R.I.

1982–present

hardcore punk thrash metal

D.R.I. (Dirty Rotten Imbeciles) formed in Houston in May 1982 from the ashes of hardcore punk band Suburbanites. The original lineup of vocalist Kurt Brecht, guitarist Spike Cassidy, drummer Eric Brecht, and bassist Dennis Johnson played their first show on July 2, 1982 at Joe Star's OMNI in Houston. The band's name came from Kurt and Eric's father, who called them "a bunch of dirty rotten imbeciles" after complaining about the noise from their rehearsals. Drummer Eric Brecht designed the band's iconic "Skanker Man" logo as part of an art college assignment.

Their self-released debut Dirty Rotten LP (1983) was a 26-song, 18-minute blast of hardcore punk that became one of the genre's defining documents. After signing to Metal Blade Records, they released Dealing with It! (1985) and Crossover (1987), the latter giving its name to the entire crossover thrash genre they helped pioneer — integrating hardcore punk roots with thrash metal influences. 4 of a Kind (1988) became their first album to chart on the Billboard 200 at No. 116, followed by Thrash Zone (1989) at No. 140.

The band later relocated to San Francisco but remained closely associated with the Houston scene that produced them. Alongside Suicidal Tendencies, Corrosion of Conformity, and the Cro-Mags, D.R.I. are considered one of the major pioneers of crossover thrash. They continued releasing albums through Definition (1992) and Full Speed Ahead (1995), and have remained active as a touring act. The 2016 EP But Wait... There's More! was their first new material in over two decades.

Members

Photos

Discography

Dirty Rotten LP (1983)

Self-released debut. 26 songs in 18 minutes of blistering hardcore punk.

Dirty Rotten EP (1983)

This grouping collects all versions of "Dirty Rotten". Many variations of this release exist. The first version was released in 1983 on 7" format as The "Dirty Rotten EP" (played at 33 RPM) with 22 songs and the cover depicted the drummer's head photographed from the back while playing live. After the EP sold out, D.R.I. released it again in 1983 and changed the name of the EP to its current title "The Dirty Rotten LP", featuring both the same cover and same track listing but in different order. The "Dirty Rotten LP" was reissued on CD for the first time in 1988, featuring 28 tracks, including some that were not on the original EP/LP. Some versions would also be combined with all four songs from their 1984 "Violent Pacification" EP. Both versions feature an alternate cover, which depicts a skeleton with a rifle dressed in an army suit. The "Dirty Rotten LP" was reissued once again in 2003 as the "Dirty Rotten CD", with 22 bonus tracks. This reissue features the same cover as the 1988 version.