Dirty Rotten Imbeciles
| D.R.I. | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Houston, Texas, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Years active | 1982–present |
| Labels |
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| Associated acts |
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| Website | www.dirtyrottenimbeciles.com |
| Members |
Spike Cassidy Kurt Brecht Walter "Monsta" Ryan Harald Oimoen |
| Past members | See: Previous member section |
D.R.I. (abbreviation for Dirty Rotten Imbeciles) is an American crossover thrash band that formed in Houston, Texas in 1982. As of 2015, the band comprises two of its founding members, vocalist Kurt Brecht and guitarist Spike Cassidy, as well as drummer Walter "Monsta" Ryan and bassist Harald Oimoen.
D.R.I. never gained a mainstream audience, but the integration of their hardcore punk roots with thrash metal influences was a stylistic catalyst for their contemporaries — most notably Suicidal Tendencies, Corrosion of Conformity, S.O.D. and Cryptic Slaughter — alongside whom they are considered to be one of the major pioneers of what would later be called "crossover thrash", along with Adrenalin O.D., with both bands having a heavy influence on modern thrash, particularly Scott Ian and his band Anthrax.
D.R.I. has released seven original studio albums, the last of which was released in 1995. Since then, the band has continued touring and intermittently going on hiatus. For years, there has been talk of an eighth D.R.I. album, which has yet to materialize. However, they released an EP with new material, But Wait...There's More!, on June 10, 2016.
The Dirty Rotten Imbeciles formed on May 2, 1982 in the city of Houston, from the ashes of the hardcore outfit Suburbanites. The original line-up consisted of Spike Cassidy on guitar, Kurt Brecht on vocals, Eric Brecht on drums and Dennis Johnson on bass guitar, which was basically the Suburbanites with Cassidy on guitar. Cassidy's roommate played guitar in the Suburbanites.
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