...SIŁA I PIĘKNO MUZYKI TKWIĄ W JEJ RÓŻNORODNOŚCI.



..::OPIS::..

D.R.I. ma jedne z najgłupszych tekstów znanych człowiekowi, ale ja je uwielbiam!
Są tak głupie, że po prostu genialne!
A muzycznie? Cóż, kosmos to nie jest ale dla mnie to potężny i imponujący krążek!!!


While it may seem a contradiction, as the 1980s were winding down, the crossover contingent of the thrash metal scene were indulging in a more ambitious and arguably epic variant of their craft. Whether it was the exploits of California-based bad boys Suicidal Tendencies, or their New York rivals Cro-Mags at around the same time, the songs were getting longer, the riffs more complicated, and the hardcore roots of the style a tad more understated. This is the context that D.R.I.'s fourth LP Thrash Zone falls, at the tail end of what was arguably the decade of metal, and their sound was correspondingly at its most metallic. Relative to the two aforementioned bands that arguably were abandoning the punk sound incrementally, these Texas-turned California-based misfits played things a bit closer to their early 80s stylistic foundation of d-beats and keeping it short, but as was the case with their previous outing 4 Of A Kind, this album is comprised of a more ambitious brand of fence-straddling between the realms of punk and metal that is closer to the likes of Nuclear Assault and Anthrax than it is Discharge or Black Flag.

Though of a more ambitious character relative to the average S.O.D. experience, Dirty Rotten Imbeciles tend to keeps things loose and festive here, playing off more of a live concert vibe. Case and point the opener "Thrashard", which cruises through a series of fast-thrashing romps and slower breakdowns that's a bit more indicative of their earlier mid-80s sound despite being dressed up with some fancier guitar work and clocking in at almost 4 minutes, and to the sound of a recorded live audience no less. Similarly more hardcore-leaning offerings such as the quasi-bluesy ditty "You Say I'm Scum" and the bass-happy speeder "Standing In Line" have a bit more of a mundane, humorous, working-class quality that also leans a bit close to the 1985 incarnation than the later 80s one. Arguably the most dynamic contributor to this album's unique sound is John Menor's bass work, which is a fair bit interesting given this band going through rhythm sections like underwear, but the frequent bass breaks that filter in and out of several of these songs has a perfectly raunchy and precise character indicative of what Frank Bello took to Anthrax at around the same time.

All that being said, the album title Thrash Zone isn't just for show, as the majority of this opus' contents are of a solid metallic character with riffs aplenty. Despite being on the short and simplistic side, the crushing groove-turned blinding speed of "Enemy Within" and "Drown You Out" bring enough low-end punch to pass for Metallica. But generally it's the longer and more involved offerings like "Beneath The Wheel", "Strategy" and "The Trade" where this album really brings home the thrashing goodness, pounding out enough riffage to pass for some of the heavy-hitters on both sides of the Continental U.S., and also affording guitarist Spike Cassidy some isolated instances to showcase his chops as a lead player, which is about on par with what one might have expected out of Dave Spitz during the tail-end of the 1980s. Overall, the instrumental presentation on quite kinetic, as longtime drummer Felix Griffing (who would sadly exit the fold soon after this album was released) also makes an impressive ruckus and often breaks clear out of the typical punk drummer box. Despite being the central character in this play, vocalist Kurt Brecht is actually the most static element here, as his signature hardcore shout gets the job done, but comes off as one-dimension next to what is going on around it.

This may not be the absolute greatest album to ever come out of D.R.I.'s arsenal (that honor is rightly afforded to Crossover by the majority consensus of old school crossover fans), but it's an exemplary case of how the style can be expanded, varied and ultimately made more accessible to the broader thrash metal world. It doesn't really get the credit it deserves due to the band's more influential early offerings, and tends to be dismissed in a similar fashion to 1988's 4 Of A Kind as an attempt to jump onto the popular wave that Anthrax was riding at the time. To be fair, both said preceding album and this one managed to crack the Billboard Top 200, so it was a success on that front, and it definitely carries a heavy likeness to that more mainline thrash metal sound that had been popularized by several bands that were riding the media coattails of the Big 4. It's a great example of a thrash album that doesn't go too heavy on the technical wizardry, and is maybe a slight step below How Will I Laugh Tomorrow When I Can't Even Smile Today in moving beyond the style's stripped down roots for more ambitious territory.

hells Unicorn



..::TRACK-LIST::..

1. Thrashard 03:39
2. Beneath the Wheel 05:36
3. Enemy Within 02:43
4. Strategy 04:19
5. Labeled Uncurable 03:03
6. You Say I'm Scum 01:54
7. Gun Control 04:58
8. Kill the Words 04:43
9. Drown You Out 02:30
10. The Trade 04:28
11. Standing in Line 01:34
12. Give a Hoot 03:55
13. Worker Bee 00:56
14. Abduction 04:03

'Labeled Uncurable' and 'You Say I'm Scum' are bonus tracks:
'Labeled Uncurable' appears on the CD and as an LP bonus track.
'You Say I'm Scum' appears as a CD-only bonus track.



..::OBSADA::..

Kurt Brecht - vocals
Spike Cassidy - guitars
John Menor - bass
Felix Griffin - drums



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uNMEbaQtMR8



SEED 15:00-22:00.
POLECAM!!!