The majority of longtime hardcore/punk fans will agree: the genre is best experienced live than on record. And one of the top hardcore live performers of the '80s was
D.R.I., whose shows were oft-times wild and high-energy affairs. Despite issuing albums on a regular basis from 1983 through 1992, the group never got around to issuing an all-live full length -- until the arrival of 1994's
Live. Recorded in November 1992 while on tour in support of their
Definition release, the release captures the band during a time when they had transformed into a full-fledged thrash metal band, as evidenced by such tracks as "Thrashard" (a rather obvious title, eh?) and "Acid Rain." However, the group hadn't turned their backs entirely on their roots -- such early classics as "Mad Man" and "I Don't Need Society" are as vibrant and explosive as ever. Some bands mellow in their old age, but certainly not the
D.R.I. gentlemen:
Live serves as a crucial piece of evidence.