Crossover thrash legends D.R.I. (a.k.a. Dirty Rotten Imbeciles) recently blew through Orlando’s Bombshell’s Tavern on Sunday, December 10, taking zero prisoners in the process.

 

Local horror punks Disfunction kicked off the night with a fury. After beginning their set with the theme from the TV show “Tales From the Crypt,” they went into some of their own tracks such as “Til Death” and “More Than Meets the Eye.” Vocalist Josh Whitman thrashed about on both stage and floor with an endless amount of energy seldom seen these days.

Another one of Orlando’s own, Sift Knuckle Solution, were up next, and commanded the crowd’s attention with their brand of old-school punk. Songs like “Ruby Red,” “Stalker,” and “Money, Power, Greed” got the room moving even more, and a cover of the Misfits’ “Death Comes Ripping” (with Disfunction’s Josh on guest vocals) topped off their set.

D.R.I. tour mates Kaustik took over next, and showed no mercy with their brutal mix of groove/thrash metal. “Scars of Violence” and “In Bastards we Trust” were just a couple that stuck out, while other highlights included D.R.I. drummer Walter “Monsta” Ryan sitting in for an Agnostic Front cover, and Kaustik’s guitarists joining in on the action on the floor during closing track “Reign in Ruin.”

Finally, D.R.I. took over with a nearly two hour set which covered their entire 30-plus year career. “Hooked,” “I’d Rather Be Sleeping,” “Mad Man,” “Violent Pacification,” “Slumlord,” “Dead in a Ditch,” “Abduction,” “Acid Rain,” and “Syringes in the Sandbox” were just a few that got things going before they segued into newer tracks like “Against Me” and “As Seen on TV.” After a very brief (and very Spinal Tap-ish) break that saw vocalist Kurt Brecht exit stage in order to move the band’s van, the guys got back to business with more classics like “All For Nothing,” “Suit and Tie Guy,” “Beneath the Wheel,” “I Don’t Need Society,” and “The Five Year Plan.” By the time D.R.I. left the stage, they had completely annihilated what was left of the exhausted crowd, thus confirming their ability to still bang some heads this far into their existence.